Trial date in body-in-freezer case moved to October

YOUNGSTOWN

A Monday trial date for a man accused of killing his girflriend and stuffing her in a freezer after chopping her up has been delayed until October so attorneys can have more time to study new indictments and evidence in the case.

Judge Lou D’Apolito said today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that trial for Arturo Novoa, 32, of Mahoning Avenue, will be pushed back to Oct. 22.

Novoa was in court for a pretrial hearing along with two new defendants in the case, Andrew Herrmann,27, and Michelle Ihlenfeld, also 27, both of Francisca Avenue.

Novoa faces a charge of aggravated murder in the death of Shannon Elizabeth Graves, whose remains were found in JUly 2017 in a freezer in a home in Campbell. A grand jury has indicted all three on several new charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity for banding together to dispose of Graves’ remains, belongings and to lie to the police about what happened to her.

Herrmann and Ihlenfeld, who are married, were also in court today. A new pretrial date for all three is expected to be announced shortly.