San Luis Obispo, CA -- The trial for the five people accused of murdering 15-year-old Dystiny Myers of Santa Maria will begin next September, nearly two years after the teen was killed somewhere between Nipomo and Santa Margarita. Yesterday, San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Barry LaBarbera set the trial for Sept. 10, 2012. The prosecutor had pushed for an earlier date of March 1.

Defense attorneys for Ty Michael Hill of Santa Maria, hoping to prolong the trial’s start, asked for a date about 18 months from now. They also argued that the special circumstance charges against Hill, which require the death penalty, were unconstitutional. Those circumstances include kidnapping and torture. All five people charged in the case have pleaded not guilty and remain in SLO County jail, where they are being held without bail.