Lawyer files for change of venue for Elledge trial

The lawyer for a Columbia man with a missing wife wants his client’s trial to take place elsewhere.

ABC 17 reports Joseph Elledge’s attorney filed for a change in venue for his February trial. The lawyer cited the intense coverage of the case as the reason.

Elledge is facing child abuse and endangerment charges. He is accused of hitting his one-year old daughter.

He is also the prime suspect in the disappearance of Mengqi Ji Elledge. She hasn’t been seen since October.