Trial date for Montgomery may not be set for year

A trial date for former football player Frank Montgomery may not be set for another year, a criminal investigator for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office said Monday.

Montgomery, 22, was charged in September in connection with the death of a 16-month-old girl left under his supervision.

Investigator Dennis Timmons said the time lapse is due to the heavy amount of cases in the criminal district court. Timmons said in about a month or two, Assistant District Attorney Jay Lapham, who heads crimes against children, will help determine if the district attorney’s office will seek the death penalty. Lapham could not be reached for comment.

Montgomery was arrested July 24 for injuring his girlfriend’s daughter, Savannah Koiner. Montgomery was indicted for capital murder Sept. 20. He is accused of striking Koiner on the head with an unknown object while she was under his care July 2.

Montgomery’s lawyer, Donald Gandy, could not be reached for comment.

— Jill Meninger