A man accused of last year’s Downtown Redding stabbing of four people, one of them fatally, has had dates set for a jury trial. Last October, 32-year-old Christopher Witcher was staying at a Downtown Redding motel that was being used for transitional housing. Police say he stabbed his four victims during a meeting, killing 57-year-old Donna Kathleen Ceremony and wounding three other people, two of them severely. He then reportedly fled the scene and tried and dispose of the knife. He was found to be incompetent for trial and was treated at a state hospital and returned. He then pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Evaluations by two independent doctors found he was sane when he allegedly committed the crimes. A settlement conference is set for December 8th and a jury trial is set to begin January 28th.
-Steve Gibson