A trial date has been set for Nathan Parsons, the Williamsburg man who was recently charged with killing his step-father in Goshen and then kidnapping a woman at Southern State Community College in Brown County.

The primary jury trial is set for May 7-25, but Clermont County Prosecutor Don White said the dates will likely change because of the nature of a capital murder trial.

“It could happen at that time, but from my experience in the past, because of all the motions the defense will file it will be difficult to keep the trial date,” White said.

The defense has already filed a motion for the appropriation of funds to consult a defense psychologist to evaluate Parsons.

“They have to determine whether or not they are going to try the plea not guilty by reasons of insanity,” White said about the evaluation. “That is not uncommon in a case like this.”

Parsons has three aggravated murder charges and one charge each of aggravated burglary, kidnapping and failure to comply with the order of signal of a police officer. All charges followed a string of events that occurred Nov. 15-16, 2011.

Parsons confessed to Goshen Township police Nov. 16 that he killed his step-father Richard Parsons, 69, of Goshen in the early morning hours Nov. 15.

Goshen Township Police Chief Ray Snyder said Parsons then stole several items from his step-father’s home including an Xbox, laptop computer, semi-automatic pistol and his pickup truck.

On Nov. 16, Parsons used the pickup truck to drive to Southern State Community College in Brown County, where he kidnapped Cassie Crawford, with whom Parsons had a previous relationship, when she arrived for class.

Bystanders, as well as Crawford, were able to notify police about the kidnapping. Parsons led police on a chase through Brown and Adams county before he stopped in a field after attempting to avoid tire deflation devices. Crawford was unharmed and was able to talk with police about the incident.

“She told police that he claimed to have murdered his dad,” Chief Snyder said. “They contacted us because the step-father lives here.”

Goshen police went to Richard Parsons’ home to investigate and found him deceased. They interrogated Parsons about his step-father’s death later that day and he confessed to the murder.

White said Parsons was not on drugs the night of the murder, but it is alleged that he had a drug problem and that one of the reasons he was stealing was to buy drugs.

White said the trial will be broken down into a guilt phase, which will determine if Parsons is guilty or not guilty and a mitigation phase, which will determine the type of punishment Parsons will receive.

He said the defense may be looking to evaluate Parsons’ psychological health to prevent him from getting the death sentence, which is an option in the capital murder case.

In terms of the prosecution’s case, White said the amount of evidence collected and the thorough investigation that was done in the beginning has put them in a good position.

“From the very beginning, between the Goshen Township Police Department, the Ohio Bureau of Identification, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there is a pretty good investigation and we’re in good shape,” White said.

Parsons’ next pre-trial hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 10 in front of Judge Jerry McBride at Clermont County Common Pleas Court.