TROY – Former Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove’s personnel records and documents related to the state criminal investigation of him will be subpoenaed for the 2017 quadruple homicide case slated for trial next year, the defense attorney said Wednesday in county court.

Attorney Kurt Haas of Albany told Judge Debra Young he will issue the subpoenas for Abelove's records and for the personnel records of detectives involved in the investigation into gruesome killing of two women and two children in their Lansingburgh apartment shortly before Christmas 2017.

Defendant James White stood by Haas’ side as the lawyer outlined his request at a hearing Wednesday afternoon. Assistant District Attorney Cheryl McDermott said the prosecution would wait to see what Haas files before responding.

White is currently scheduled to go to trial Jan. 21, 2020, more than two years after Brandi Mells, 22; Shanta Myers, 36; and Myers' two children: Jeremiah Myers, 11; and Shanise Myers, 5, were found stabbed to death in their basement apartment.

White will be on trial for nine counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder, one count of burglary, one count of robbery and two counts of criminal possession of stolen property. The top count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole.

Haas declined to elaborate on why he is seeking Abelove’s records. Republican Abelove lost reelection a year ago to Democratic District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly.

Previous reporting:

Attorney general urges appellate court to restore criminal case against Abelove

Troy quadruple homicide trial postponed

Co-defendant in Troy quadruple homicide wants to take back guilty plea

The former district attorney was indicted for misdemeanor perjury and official misconduct for his handling of a grand jury investigation of the fatal shooting of DWI suspect Edson Thevenin by Sgt. Randall French during an April 2016 traffic stop in Troy. Supreme Court Justice Jonathan D. Nichols' dismissed the indictment of Abelove in June 2018. The Appellate Division of the Third Judicial District currently is considering an appeal by the state Attorney General’s Office to restore criminal charges against Abelove.

Haas wants to subpoena the records related to the attorney general's investigation of Abelove.

Abelove was personally prosecuting the case against White, 39, and his co-defendant Justin Mann, until he left office at the end of 2018. The case has been delayed as White asked that his previous attorneys – Assistant Public Defender Greg Cholakis, who first handled the case, and then his successor, attorney Steven Sharp – be replaced.

Mann, 25, is supposed to testify against White as part of a plea deal. Mann pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of the four victims. He will be sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison under the terms of his plea.