Sarah B. Gonzales McLinn

Douglas County District Judge Paula Martin on Thursday set a new jury trial date for a 20-year-old Lawrence woman charged with first-degree murder in the January death of Cici’s Pizza franchise owner Harold M. Sasko.

Sarah B. Gonzales McLinn, previously scheduled for a Jan. 5 court date, will now face her jury on March 16. Earlier this month, both the prosecution and defense in her case requested to delay the trial to have extra time for preparing the case.

At a preliminary hearing in May, law enforcement and Douglas County Coroner Erik Mitchell testified that McLinn, then 19, put crushed sleeping pills into Sasko’s beer, bound his wrists and ankles and plunged a hunting knife into his neck.

This is the second time McLinn’s trial has been delayed. In June, McLinn waived her right to a speedy trial to push her originally scheduled August trial to the Jan. 5, 2015, date.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson is seeking a “hard 50” sentence — or 50 years in prison — for McLinn. Carl Cornwell, McLinn’s attorney, has previously said his client suffers from mental illness and has never denied killing Sasko.

McLinn remains in the Douglas County Jail on a $1 million bond.