Dallas County has paid $1.5M for 2014 murder case that still hasn't reached trial
DALLAS COUNTY, Texas - Dallas County has paid more than $1.5 million to attorneys and investigators in connection to a 2014 murder that still has not gone to trial.
David Wade McDermett was arrested in the spring of 2015 for the murder of Garland grandmother Janet Vanderslice in her home.
David McDermett
Court records show the case has been passed for court dates more than 30 times.
"I cannot begin to understand why this case has still not come to justice," said Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price. "Nobody's done anything. They're just passing the case. They're kicking the can down the road. Justice delayed is justice denied. That's just insanity."
There have been a number of defense attorneys appointed to the case, only to later remove themselves.
One quit to work for the district attorney at the time. The District Attorney's Office then recused itself from prosecuting the case in 2017.
Special prosecutors were then appointed by Judge Carter Thompson.
Since 2015, court-appointed defense and investigators have billed the county $25,847, but special prosecutors have submitted invoices totaling $1,553,647.
"You have a case for ten years, thirty passes and a million and a half dollars to an outside, or what we call a special prosecutor, and then $25,000-$30,000 in court appointments. This makes no sense and this is a murder case. This makes no sense," Price said.
Because he'd been in jail two years with no movement, McDermett was released on a personal recognizance bond in 2017.
At first, he had an ankle monitor, but that was removed by county officials months after he got out of jail on bond.
The current special prosecutor was appointed in 2019, but COVID slowed the court system in 2020 and 2021.
The case still has not gone before a jury.
"It's been over ten years since she was murdered and justice needs to happen," David Vanderslice, the victim's son told FOX 4 in September.
Janet Vanderslice
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price is frustrated at both the amount of tax dollars spent and the open wound in Janet Vanderslice's family.
"As much as anything the son and the family deserves to have an outcome in regards to this case," he said.
FOX 4 attempted to reach Judge Carter Thompson on Thursday after receiving the financials from the county auditor.
We were told he was in trial this week and could not talk to us.
FOX 4 tried to reach Thompson in September when the story first came to our attention. Clerks told us he was out of town, but did not return our calls.
Right now, McDermett's trial is set for January 2025.