NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against three men charged in the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo.
Jason Autry, Zach Adams, and Dylan Adams appeared in a Decatur County courtroom Wednesday morning, where each was arraigned on new charges brought against them in the case.
All three men have been charged with rape, kidnapping and murder following an indictment handed down in May.
Judge Creed McGinley also announced the state has filed a notice intending to seek the death penalty against all three men if convicted.
Not guilty pleas were entered for every count for each man.
"When you're talking about the ultimate punishment, there is a heightened sense of due process and I want the attorneys to have the adequate time to file their motions," McGinley said.
Autry and Zach Adams were already facing kidnapping and murder charges. Zach's brother, Dylan, was previously arrested for rape.
Because the death penalty is now being pursued, special council has to be appointed to all three defendants.
Outside of court, prosecutor Jennifer Nichols made it clear the decision to pursue death as a punishment was not a decision left to the Bobo's.
"Both of us always consult with the family for decisions such as this. Ultimately it's not the family's choice, it's not the family's decision, it's based on the law and what the law provides and allows for," Nichols said.
For the past six months, defense attorneys have expressed outrage with the prosecution, saying they've received zero discovery evidence in the case.
It was revealed in court that volumes of investigative material, said to be large enough to fill a small library, will finally be turned over by the end of the month.
Director Mark Gwyn with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was also served a subpoena in court, however he was not present.
All three defendants were expected to be back in court at the end of August.
Bobo went missing from her Parsons home in 2011. The nursing student's partial remains were discovered in September 2014 in a wooded part of Decatur County.
