Federal prosecutors have requested an indefinite delay in scheduling the trial for Ryan Routh, the suspect in the second assassination attempt on former President Trump. The request was made on Wednesday, citing an enormous amount of evidence gathered since Routh's arrest.
In a filing on Wednesday, prosecutors asked Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon to officially designate Routh's case as 'complex.' The scope of the investigation was revealed, spanning multiple states and involving hundreds of interviews and hundreds of digital media for review.
The government has been diligently investigating the incident since September 15, conducting numerous interviews and executing 13 search warrants in Florida, Hawaii, and North Carolina. Hundreds of items of evidence, including multiple electronic devices, have been seized.
Investigators have more than 100 outstanding subpoena returns pending and estimate they have 'thousands of videos to review' from the seized electronic devices. The digital review process involves approximately 4,000 terabytes of data.
The FBI is continuing forensic tests on evidence, including ballistic testing and fingerprint and DNA comparisons. The government anticipates preparing several expert witnesses to testify based on the evidence collected.
Due to the extensive amount of evidence, prosecutors have requested an indefinite delay in the trial to allow ample time for parties to review the discovery and determine necessary motions. The government also asked for motion deadlines, calendar call, and trial date to be delayed indefinitely.
Routh, who pleaded not guilty in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, is facing attempted assassination charges. He was previously charged with possessing a gun with a scratched-out number and possessing a gun illegally as a felon. A federal judge has ordered him to remain in custody.
On September 15, Routh allegedly hid in the bushes outside Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a rifle as Trump was playing. A Secret Service agent spotted the gun barrel and opened fire, leading to Routh's arrest shortly after attempting to flee.
