MT. VERNON – A jury trial has been set for a Jefferson County man accused of murder in the shooting death of his wife at their rural Mt. Vernon home Labor Day weekend.

Online court records show 51-year-old John W. Finney’s trial is set for Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. in Jefferson County Court. He is scheduled to have a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 10 followed by a final pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 20 in Jefferson County Court. Finney remains in the Jefferson County Jail charged with First-degree Murder.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a possible homicide just after 8 p.m. Labor Day night. Deputies gathered information and began looking for a Ford Escape.

Finney was driving the vehicle when it was spotted by Christopher Police on Illinois 148. Police followed Finney and deputies pulled him over on Birch Road in rural Du Quoin. Finney was detained and his wife, 42-year-old Amy J. Finney, was found dead inside. The sheriff’s office says the murder happened on Sunday, Aug. 31 following a domestic dispute at the couple’s home on North Illinois 148 in rural Mt. Vernon.