CALDWELL, Idaho — On Wednesday, Delbert Cornish appeared in court for the first time since being arrested for the murder of his 18-year-old adopted daughter in Caldwell last month.
The hearing lasted just a few minutes, but it was clear this case is far from over. The judge granted a continuance, pushing the contested hearing back to Sept. 17 at 8:30 a.m.
The judge made it clear he's blocking off the entire day for the case, indicating the complexity of the proceedings ahead.
Prosecutors told the court they're still going through evidence, and some of what they've reviewed could support an additional charge against Cornish.
WATCH TO SEE WHAT’S NEXT AS THE CASE MOVES TOWARD A CONTESTED HEARING LATER THIS MONTH.
As previously reported, court documents Idaho News 6 obtained through a public records request revealed Cornish confessed to the shooting. Detectives said he told them, "I'm not gonna lie, I did it, dude."
Documents also said he had previously planned to kill all three of his children and then himself.
Cornish sat quietly in court Wednesday morning while the judge and attorneys discussed the timeline ahead. The 18-year-old victim has been identified as Hope Cornish. Family members said she went by "Onyx."
In the next hearing, the state will present evidence, and the defense can challenge it. Witnesses are also expected to be present when the case proceeds later this month.
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