The murder trial against former Homewood pastor Richard Shahan has been continued.

The trial was set to begin the week of January 9, 2017, but has been rescheduled for the week of May 15.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Laura Petro granted the continuance on Monday.

Shahan's attorneys John Lentine and Wendell Sheffield filed the motion to continue last week. According to court documents, the defense asked for a continuance because of evidence collected and provided to them by the prosecution. The evidence is "voluminous," documents said, and contains several hundred pages of witness statements. Extra time before trial will allow the defense to thoroughly review the statements and conduct more interviews.

In October, Deputy Jefferson County District Attorney Patrick Lamb disclosed more evidence investigators had found to the defense. Court documents showed that finding filled 18 blank DVD's and 7 blank CD's.

Shahan is accused of killing his wife Karen in July, 2013. Her body was found in the family's Hugh Circle home. Investigators said she was stabbed to death and had several small defensive wounds.

55-year-old Shahan was jailed and released without being charged after Karen's slaying. Shortly after his release, he resigned from his position as Children and Families Pastor and the Facilities Director at First Baptist.

He was arrested New Years Day of 2014 in Nashville while trying to board a plane to Germany. According to statements and numerous emails from the former pastor, he was involved in multiple romantic relationships with men in Nashville and in Europe.

Shahan's trial was originally set for April, before being pushed back to January, 2017.