Jesse Matthew assault trial in Fairfax County postponed

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A judge has ordered a postponement in a trial that had been scheduled for next month in Fairfax County for a Charlottesville man who is also charged with abducting University of Virginia student Hannah Graham.

Jesse Matthew's lawyers in Fairfax said they need more time to prepare for trial. He is accused in Fairfax of attempted murder and sexual assault of a woman who was attacked in 2005 after walking home from a grocery.

The case against Matthew rests heavily on DNA evidence, and defense lawyers say they need time to review and analyze the evidence.

The judge did not set a new date at Friday's hearing.

Matthew is also charged with Graham's abduction. She went missing in September, prompting a massive search. Her body was found a month later.