COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ)

Joseph Elledge’s defense team are scheduled to appear in court again on Friday at 9 a.m. before his first degree murder trial, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.

Elledge is accused of killing his wife, Mengqi Ji, in October 2019.

During Friday’s hearing, lawyers are expected to continue discussions on the pre-trial motions. A judge ruled Thursday to allow expert testimony from plant and soil scientists.

The defense questioned the methods scientists used to match the soil found on Elledge’s boots to the soil found at the site where police found Ji’s body, saying there was no way to determine the error rate of the analysis.

Ji’s remains were found at Rock Bridge State Park earlier this year.

Pre-trial motions expected to be discussed on Friday include the state asking to bar the defense from discussing the state’s failure to call certain witnesses at trial, as well as the lack of physical evidence.

The state also responded to the defense request to suppress Elledge’s statements to police. In the response, prosecutors said, “All of the accused’s statements were made during a voluntary encounter with the police.”

Barring further changes or court rulings, Friday’s hearing is Elledge’s last before the case goes to trial on Monday.