LISBON — The jury trial for a Lisbon man accused of shooting his ex-wife to death last year has been moved to 9 a.m. April 29.

William P. Long Jr., 51, North Market Street, Lisbon, appeared Monday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court before Judge Megan Bickerton for a status conference and motions hearing.

Bickerton granted the motion to continue the Nov. 12 date at the request of Long’s defense attorneys David Betras and Frank Cassese, who cited a need for more time to adequately prepare for a trial in a case of this magnitude. The prosecution, represented at the hearing by county Assistant Prosecutor Alec Beech, did not oppose the motion.

A final status hearing was set for 9 a.m. April 14.

Long, who remains in jail under a $1.5 million cash or surety bond, was charged at the end of May with aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies, along with a first-degree felony of discharging a firearm upon a roadway, and firearm specifications for using a gun for each count in the death of 50-year-old Michelle A. Long on Nov. 29, 2023 outside her Carey Road home in Butler Township.

At the time of her death, Michelle A. Long was the Leetonia High School math/STEM/industry teacher, junior high robotics coach and junior high track coach. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

In the motion for continuance, Betras also wrote that the defense anticipated filing multiple motions to suppress based on a review of the evidence so far and may want to retain various experts, noting there were delays in raising the necessary funds to retain expert witnesses. The defense team was hired by Long.

If convicted, William P. Long Jr. could be facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to county Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino.

Abruzzino said previously that Michelle Long was found deceased in her vehicle outside of her residence on the road near her mailbox. Early in the investigation, there had been search warrants executed, including one at the home of William P. Long Jr. in Lisbon.