Trial pushed for man charged in pregnant Albermarle woman’s disappearance

ALBEMARLE, NC (WBTV) - The trial of the man charged in the disappearance of a 25-year-old Albemarle woman feared dead won’t happen in the “foreseeable future,” authorities said.

Joseph Lee Rhodes has been charged with the first-degree murder of Sasha Lee Naylor and the woman’s unborn child. Court records indicated his case was set to go before a jury this week.

Related: Man arrested in connection to missing pregnant woman. Deputies say she’s dead

According to Capt. Chris Huneycutt with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Rhodes was appointed new counsel on Monday, likely impacting the trial for a year.

Naylor was reported missing in Stanly County back in February 2019. A Silver Alert was issued a short time later for the woman, who deputies say was reportedly pregnant with a February due date.

She was believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment.

Authorities previously said Naylor was last seen alive on Kates Drive in Albemarle and believed to be heading in the direction of West Virginia or Ohio.

Her last contact was at the Community Inn in Albemarle on Aug. 21, 2018, officials say.

According to Huneycutt, Naylor’s body has still not been found.

Officials say Sasha Lee Naylor, 25, was last heard from at the Community Inn in Albemarle on... — Officials say Sasha Lee Naylor, 25, was last heard from at the Community Inn in Albemarle on Aug. 21, 2018.

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