Troy Harper James
HAMILTON – A Brilliant man will now stand trial for his alleged role in the murder of his wife in late June after Marion County Circuit Court Judge John Bentley forwarded the case to a grand jury.
The judge’s decision was handed down following a preliminary hearing, which lasted almost two hours at the Marion County Courthouse in Hamilton on Thursday, Aug. 18.
Troy Harper James, 38, was charged in the murder of his wife, Tracy Lynn Fortham, 41, Brilliant, after her body was found inside the couple’s burning home on June 23. The couple had been married for about a year, according to authorities at the time of her death.
The incident occurred at the couple’s home located at 915 Main Street in Brilliant, just a short distance from the Brilliant Police Department.
James is being held at the Marion County Jail in Hamilton without bond for the duration of the trial. The preliminary hearing marked his second appearance in a county courtroom, as the first came less than 24 hours after his wife’s death.
Media Release/Marion County Sheriff’s Department/ The Journal Record/ tracy estes
