SE K N ews Preliminary hearing in murder case delayed
NEODESHA — A preliminary hearing for a Neodesha man accused of first-degree murder has been delayed until late July.
Joseph Douglas Ferraro, 57, is charged in Wilson County District Court with first degree murder, which is an off-grid crime punishable by up to life in prison, and arson, criminal possession of a firearm and obstruction, all lower-level felonies.
Ferraro is accused of murdering Levi Ellis, 39, of Neodesha, formerly of Parsons, in September 2024.
Around 11:30 a.m. Sept. 24, 2024, the Neodesha Police Department requested KBI assistance after locating skeletal remains in a pasture east of 6554 Ottawa Road, which is northwest of Neodesha. Ellis had been reported missing by a friend three days before.
KBI agents, with assistance from officers with the Neodesha Police Department, developed a suspect in the case and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, authorities arrested Ferraro on Oct. 1, 2024, on the murder warrant.
A preliminary hearing was set for this week in Fredonia. However, Ferraro’s defense attorneys asked to delay it because they were still waiting on investigative materials and to review the voluminous record of reports.
The judge agreed to reschedule the two-day preliminary hearing for July 22 and 23 in Fredonia.
Ferraro remains jailed.
