Marc Alan Ray of Perry, facing a raft of charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the May 2017 death of his adoptive daughter, Sabrina Ray, asked Thursday for his trial to be moved out of Dallas County.
District Court Judge Terry Rickers has not ruled on the request, filed by Ray’s attorney, Gerald Feuerhelm. Ray’s motion for a change of venue claims local media coverage of Sabrina Ray’s death makes a fair trial from an impartial jury impossible for him to receive in Dallas County.
Marc Ray, 42, and his wife, Misty Ray, 41, were arrested May 18 in connection with the starvation death of 16-year-old Sabrina Ray, who weighed only 56 pounds when she was found dead May 12 at 1708 First Ave. in Perry.
The Rays were each initially charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death, four counts of child endangerment resulting in serious injury and three counts of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. First-degree kidnapping charges were filed against each of the Rays a week after their arrest, and first-degree murder charges were added in October.
Misty Ray’s mother, Carla Raye Bousman, 63, awaits trial on three counts of aiding and abetting first-degree kidnapping, one count of aiding and abetting child endangerment resulting in death and one count of obstructing prosecution or defense.
Josie Raye Bousman, 21, a niece of Misty Ray, also faces charges of three counts of aiding and abetting first-degree kidnapping and one count of aiding and abetting child endangerment resulting in death. She agreed in October to testify for the state in the trials of her relations.
Josie Bousman’s trial is scheduled to begin March 26.
Justin Dale Ray, 22, the son of Marc and Misty Ray, was sentenced Feb. 16 to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of willful injury. The state dropped two other felony charges filed against him, child endangerment resulting in serious injury and child endangerment resulting in bodily injury, in return for the guilty plea.
One needn’t be a psychic to know this was going to happen. I don’t doubt one little bit he’s going to be convicted, but neither do I doubt they will grant a change of venue. Any attorney for the defense half worth his fees would request it. For the sake of due process and to guarantee Ray couldn’t make an appeal for another trial, I’d bet even the prosecution wouldn’t mind a change of venue either. As evil as his crime was, we can’t leave Ray any leverage for being retried. Send him to another courthouse. Nothing personal against the editor, but I’m sick of the Rays being in the news anyway.