THOMASVILLE — A murder suspect jailed for more than two years on a 21-count indictment remains scheduled to be tried before a jury of his peers, hopefully in 2021, according to Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brad Shealy.

Robert Carter has been held in the Thomas County Jail since he was captured in early July 2018.

Counts in the indictment are:

• Felony murder

• Five counts of false imprisonment

• Financial transaction card theft

• Concealing the death of another

• Two counts of theft by taking

• Four counts of kidnapping

• Four counts of armed robbery

• First-degree burglary

• Sexual battery

• Criminal attempt to commit a felony

Carter is charged with the death of 70-year-old Deanna Shirey, who disappeared from her Glenwood Drive home after talking by phone to family members on July 1, 2018. Her vehicle was found in Tallahassee, Florida, two days later.

Four days later, a Thomasville woman was assaulted, bound and robbed at her home. An Ochlocknee family was taken hostage at their home the next day.

Carter was identified as the suspect in all three incidents. After an intensive manhunt by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, Carter was found July 8 hiding under a log in the Little Ochlockonee River.

On July 13, Shirey’s body was discovered buried in a shallow grave in the back yard of Carter’s Colton Avenue residence. Her remains were wrapped in a comforter from her bed.

“Right now, there’s no plea agreement on the table. It’s just a question of when we’ll get back to jury trials. I know it will not be this year,” Shealy said.

Because of the prevalence of the COVID-19 virus, the Georgia Supreme Court issued an order in March prohibiting Georgia jury trials, among other court proceedings.

The district attorney said that when the high court allows jury trials to resume depends on whether a viable COVID vaccine is available and whether people feel comfortable being near each other. People must feel safe and comfortable to participate in a jury trial, he added.

“He (Carter) will be the first or second case to be tried when trials resume,” Shealy said.

Said Rick Collum, Carter’s Moultrie attorney, “We’re ready for trial.”

Collum said he hopes his client will be one of the first tried in Thomas County Superior Court when the COVID-related ban is lifted.

Social-distancing and masks are not conducive to a jury trial, Collum said, adding that a defendant has the right to face his accusers.

“Wearing a face mask might impede that right,” Collum said.

He said his representation of a murder suspect in another city or a case in federal court might take precedence over the Carter trial when a trial date is set.

“We have had numerous communications,” Collum said, in reference to Carter. “To my knowledge, we’re going to trial on all the counts of all the indictment.