Trial put off for suspect in Beason, Illinois family's deaths

LINCOLN, Ill. (AP) -- The trial for one of two brothers accused of killing a family of five in central Illinois won't start this year after all.

A judge has granted a defense request to push Jason Harris' trial from December to Feb. 22.

The 22-year-old and his 30-year-old brother, Christopher Harris, are charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder. Both have pleaded not guilty.

They're accused of killing Ruth and Raymond Gee and three of their children. The family's bodies were found inside their Beason home Sept. 21.

Jason Harris appeared in court Monday, his wrists and ankles shackled. Defense attorney Steve Skelton says the case is complex, with up to 10,000 pages of documents.

There's a pretrial hearing for Jason Harris on Dec. 3.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)