On Dec. 14, 2014, Auburn RB Jakell Mitchell, a redshirt freshman, was shot and killed at an Auburn apartment complex.

Markale Hart is accused of committing the murder, but he claims he acted in self-defense and had no other option but to shoot Mitchell.

On Friday, Hart was granted a continuance for his trial, which now will not begin until at least May 20, 2017, according to AL.com.

The reason for the continuance is that Tyrone Rowe, Hart’s cousin and one of three key witnesses in the case, is currently deployed in Kuwait as a member of the Alabama National Guard. Hart’s lawyer, Jerry Blevins, said it’s important to have Rowe available during the trial:

“The credibility of persons claiming to have witnessed the events surrounding the shooting is paramount,” Blevins wrote in the motion. “A fair assessment of credibility can only be made if the jury is permitted to visually see and hear from all witnesses.”

The trial is now scheduled to begin on June 12, 2017.