Judge sets January hearing on Norwich murder case

New London Superior Court Judge Hillary B. Strackbein has scheduled a probable cause hearing for Jan. 12, 2016, to determine whether the state has enough evidence to prosecute Jean Jacques for murder in connection with the June 15 stabbing death of Casey Chadwick in Norwich.

Jacques, 41, has been held in lieu of $1.1 million bond on a murder charge since Norwich police charged him with stabbing Chadwick, 25, at her apartment on Spaulding Street and leaving her body in a closet.

Though he has appeared in court several times, he has not yet entered a plea in the case since he is entitled to such a hearing.

His attorney, Sebastian O. DeSantis, told the judge during Jacques’ court appearance Wednesday that Jacques wants the hearing.

Senior Assistant State’s Attorney David J. Smith will be prosecuting.

At the time of his arrest, Jacques was on parole for a 1996 shooting on Laurel Hill Avenue that left a man dead and a woman critically injured.

He was convicted in 1997 of attempted murder and carrying a pistol without a permit.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, suspended after 16 years followed by five years of probation.

Chadwick’s mother, Wendy Hartling, was outraged when she learned that Jacques, a Haitian national, was not deported after serving the lengthy prison sentence for a violent crime.

She is working with New London attorney Chester Fairlie to get answers and attempt to reform immigration policy.

Released in 2012 to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement, Jacques was set free after a failed deportation attempt.

Charged with a parole violation in 2014, he was returned to prison for about six months, when he was once again turned over to the custody of ICE and again set free without being deported.