Suspect in Flagstaff cold case from 1987 requests speedy trial

A man accused of murdering a Northern Arizona University student in Flagstaff in 1987 formally requested a speedy trial in Coconino County Superior Court, starting the clock on the deadline for proceedings before a jury to begin.

James Arthur Runnels, 62, is being held in the custody of the Coconino County Detention Facility following his arrest in March of this year. He is being represented in court by Coconino County Public Defender Jennifer Stock, who told Judge Stacy Krueger on Monday, June 1, that her client wishes to proceed to trial “as soon as possible.”