Lynn murder trial pushed back to October

SALEM – The start of the murder trial of Fernando Aristy, charged with the beating death of a Peabody father of two, has been continued until October.Aristy, a former 24-year-old Chelsea resident, is charged with the beating death of Chad R. McDonald Sr., 34, of Peabody, on Oct. 9, 2010 outside a 37 Bennett St. warehouse after the pair got into a fight over a parking space.The trial was expected to commence earlier this week in Lawrence Superior Court, but the case had to be delayed so that the murder suspect’s attorney could research background information regarding a key prosecution witness.Friday morning in Salem Superior Court, attorneys agreed to have the trial continued until the fall.Judge Robert Cornetta scheduled the trial for Oct. 3 in Lawrence Superior Court before Judge Richard E. Welch III.Earlier this week defense attorney Raymond D. Buso asked the trial to be delayed until he could review background information on Wilfredo Mordan, 38, of Revere.Mordan, who initially identified himself to police as Antonio Santos, is apparently the only witness who puts the alleged murder weapon, a board, in Aristy’s hands on the night of the slaying.Buso maintains that Mordan is cooperating with prosecutors in hopes of resolving criminal charges and immigration problems he is facing.But Assistant District Attorney Maureen Wilson-Leal has said that there are no promises or rewards offered by the government to Mordan for his testimony.Murder trials typically take at least a year and much more to get to trial, but in this case Buso filed a motion for a speedy trial, asking that the case be quickly scheduled for trial.Aristy has pleaded innocent to first-degree murder. A conviction on the charge would send him to prison for the rest of his life, with no chance of being released.He remains held at the Middleton Jail without bail pending the outcome of his case.