by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
LANCASTER—The murder trial of John Randolph “Rand” Hooper will not take place in Lancaster County.
Judge Charles E. Poston on February 23 granted a change in venue motion by Hooper’s lawyers in Lancaster County Circuit Court. Special prosecutor Matthew Kite did not oppose the motion.
The trial has tentatively been set for June 21-25 in Norfolk Circuit Court.
The motion listed 23 reasons as grounds for the change, many of which related to newspaper and television coverage of the controversial case.
Hooper has been charged with three felonies, including murder, aggravated manslaughter and failure to render aid, in the death of his friend Graham McCormick, whose body was found in Carter Creek in August 2017. Hooper and friends had gathered…
