The arraignment of a Goleta man indicted for allegedly murdering his parents and two children in August was delayed again Tuesday, pushing the case into the new year.
Nicolas Holzer, 45, who was indicted last month on four counts of murder, appeared in Santa Barbara Superior Court wearing an orange County Jail jumpsuit and thick-rimmed, black glasses above a gray and white unruly beard.
His defense attorney, Christine Voss, asked that arraignment on charges be delayed until Jan. 13. Judge Brian Hill granted the request, hearing no objection from prosecutor Ron Zonen.
Holzer responded with a soft “yes” after Hill asked if he understood that another postponement would impact his right to a speedy trial.
Authorities say Holzer called 9-1-1 late on Aug. 11 to report that he had murdered his family in their home in the 600 block of Walnut Park Lane near Goleta.
Responding deputies found four bodies with multiple stab wounds, and the victims were identified as Holzer’s parents and two children: William Charles Holzer, 73, Sheila Garard Holzer, 74, Sebastian Holzer, 13, and Vincent Holzer, 10.
The family’s Australian shepherd, Dixie, also had been stabbed to death.
Holzer entered a not-guilty plea last month, and his arraignment was delayed until December.
Voss this week was still going over the indictment transcript of the grand jury proceedings done in secret, and could order the transcript be sealed so the public can’t access it in the near future.
Zonen previously told Noozhawk the grand jury indictment allows a trial to move forward at a faster pace, eliminating the need for a preliminary hearing.
If convicted, Holzer is facing the possibility of a life sentence for each count of murder without the possibility of parole.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.