LISBON –The trial of a St. Clair Township man accused of robbing and beating an 89-year-old Glenmoor man to death last year has been pushed back to late August.

Robert E. Stevens, 49, of Fox Chase Road, was scheduled to go on trial June 3 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for the murder of Charles J. Travis Jr. Public defender Jennifer Gorby asked at a pretrial hearing on Friday the trial be rescheduled because the forensic pathologist they hired to examine the medical evidence recently had surgery and has yet to complete his review.

As a result, Judge Scott Washam set a new trial date of Aug. 26 after Gorby told him she was confident their medical expert would conclude his review and have his report available for the county prosecutor’s office to inspect by late June.

Travis was at his home on state Route 267 the afternoon of March 9, 2018, when Stevens came to the door saying he had a Federal Express delivery for him. Travis let Stevens in, and once inside Stevens beat Travis about the face and choked him before stealing $300 from his wallet. After Stevens left, Travis tried calling his daughter, who arrived to find her father lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.

Travis was able to provide a description of his attacker and what he was wearing, and the next day, police brought Stevens in for questioning. During the interview, Stevens reportedly admitted to committing the crime and setting fire to his blood-covered clothing he wore that day and also disposing of the FedEx box, which he had brought with him from the home where he was staying.

Travis was hospitalized for several weeks before being transferred to the Calcutta Health Care Center, where he died on July 19, 2018, from injuries stemming from the assault, which resulted in murder charges being added. Stevens is also charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.