photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Defendant Rodney Marshall appears Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Douglas County District Court with his attorneys, Jennifer Amyx and Branden Bell.

A Lawrence man accused of murdering two men and attempting to kill multiple law enforcement officers will now stand trial in May 2026 — nearly four years after the date of the alleged crimes.

Judge Amy Hanley, saying that she was “acutely aware” of how long Rodney Marshall’s case had been pending, nevertheless noted that such delays weren’t uncommon in a justice system that cautiously moves at the pace of a “marathon, not a sprint.”

photo by: Lawrence Police Department UAV Drone Image

The Lawrence Police Department on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, showed video of a suspect in a July 2022 double homicide being arrested.

Marshall, who has seen multiple trial dates come and go over the years, appeared in Douglas County District Court Wednesday with his latest set of defense lawyers: Branden Bell and Jennifer Amyx.

Half a dozen other court-appointed attorneys had previously asked to be removed from Marshall’s case, largely, it appears, due to the difficulty of working with him. In the case of two lawyers, as the Journal-World reported, withdrawal was allowed after Marshall reportedly instigated a physical altercation with them. In other instances, conflicts — not publicly detailed — arose that made representation not “viable.”

The situation prompted an admittedly frustrated Hanley to tell Marshall last month that “there is a limit regarding the right to counsel.”

“It’s limited by your actions, your behavior and your choices,” she said.

Hanley said on Wednesday that attorneys would have seven months to prepare for a three-week trial that is now set to begin on May 4 — a timeframe meant to ensure a fair proceeding for both the defense and the prosecution.

At the state’s request, Marshall on Wednesday again raised his cuffed right hand and confirmed an “unlimited waiver” of his speedy trial rights.

Marshall has been in custody on a $1.5 million bond since his arrest on July 31, 2022. He is alleged to have shot Shelby McCoy, 52, at 1115 Tennessee St. before riding across town on a moped to shoot William D. O’Brien, 43, at 325 Northwood Lane. After the shootings, police staked out Marshall’s residence in central Lawrence, and when he tried to leave the home, he led multiple officers on a chase while allegedly firing a pistol out of his window.

The chase ended on Kansas Highway 10 near Eudora. A Lawrence detective who took Marshall into custody testified at his preliminary hearing that Marshall said he had killed the men because of an investigation into child molesters and that he thought his actions would be deemed justified.