A special hearing has been set for Friday, March 21 in the case of Travis McGraw, 47, of Hendersonville, who is charged with the first-degree murder of his wife Vanessa Mintz.
The hearing will be at the Polk County Courthouse at 9:30 a.m. with Judge Marvin Pope presiding.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Alex Bass confirmed this week that a special hearing has been set in McGraw’s case. Bass said he met with the Mintz family last week to tell them of the special hearing. Bass did not say what exactly would occur at the hearing, but did say a summary of evidence will be heard.
Mintz’ daughter, Andrea Little Gray told the Bulletin the family has been made aware of the special hearing on Friday.
“We really hope this hearing will answer a lot of questions,” Little Gray said.
Little Gray said her family plans to attend the hearing and following what occurs, plans on making a statement.
“She (Mintz) was very loved and we have appreciated all the support we have gotten,” Little Gray said.
Mintz, who was 53, was a Hendersonville realtor. She was found with a gunshot to the head at the Saluda Mountain Lodge, which her family owned at the time, on the morning of Feb. 19, 2011. McGraw was arrested four days later and charged with her murder. He posted a $750,000 bond in May 2013 and was released from jail.
The case has been continued several times over the past three years with the most recent trial set for Jan. 20, 2014 then postponed until May 19, 2014.
The January trial was postponed until May after McGraw’s attorney, Tony Dalton was hospitalized for high blood pressure. Mintz’ mother, Sylvia Mintz, passed away on Jan. 21, 2014.
A major delay in the case occurred in August 2013, when the prosecution was re-assigned to Bass, of District 29-A, which covers Rutherford and McDowell counties. District 29-B District Attorney Greg Newman stepped down from prosecuting the case after his former law firm Blanchard & Newman represented McGraw at the probable cause hearing.
Bass said he once he took over the case it was postponed until December 2013 for him to read the file, which was a few thousand pages long, and to turn over the discovery, which caused a six-month delay at the time.
The television show “48 Hours” has picked up the story and plans on attending the special hearing Friday, Bass and the Mintz family said.