After 'hot mess’ of a trial, Andrew Terry to be retried in case of missing baby

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – More than two months after his case ended in a mistrial, the Blacksburg man charged with concealing the body of his 3-month-old daughter will be back in court.

During a hearing Wednesday, it was determined that Andrew Terry would be retried on April 1, 2020.

Last month, the Roanoke Police Department requested an additional search on his cellphone, using “updated cellular forensic technology.”

Terry previously admitted to burying his daughter, Arieanna Day, near Jennelle Road after he picked her up bruised and barely alive from her mother’s house in Roanoke, according to prosecutors.

At the time of the Sept. 26 mistrial, Mary Pettitt, Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney, issued this statement.

“It was important to pursue justice for Arieanna particularly when there was a confession to the crime. I know Roanoke City will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. We will evaluate the case and determine if we will retry the defendant.”

Mary Pettitt, Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney

At the time Day went missing, an Amber Alert was issued for her.

At one point during the trial, the judge called this case a “hot mess” and asked the commonwealth’s attorney how the state knows if Arieanna is even dead.

10 News has extensively covered all aspects of this case since we first learned of Arieanna’s disappearance last year:

• September 12, 2018 -Search underway for missing Roanoke 3-month-old girl
• September 13, 2018 - Roanoke police: 'Realistic possibility' 3-month-old Roanoke girl is dead
• September 14, 2018 - Search continues for missing Roanoke 3-month-old girl
• September 18, 2018 - Authorities holding informational checkpoint to locate body of missing 3-month-old girl
• September 26, 2018 - Warrants show police looking at cellphone records of relative in missing baby case
• October 11, 2018 - One month later, few answers in case of missing Roanoke baby
• October 25, 2018 - Father told police he hid body of 3-month-old Roanoke baby, court testimony reveals
• November 16, 2018 - Roanoke police partner with forensic expert in search for Arieanna Day
• January 09, 2019 - Blacksburg man indicted on charge of hiding body of his 3-month-old daughter
• March 13, 2019 - Trial pushed back for Blacksburg man who says he hid body of his baby daughter
• May 29, 2019 - Trial date set for Blacksburg man charged with hiding body of his 3-month-old daughter
• September 11, 2019 - One year since Roanoke 3-month-old disappeared, father to go on trial later this month
• September 25, 2019 - ‘Are you harming her or setting me up for murder?’ Missing girl’s parents chatted before calling 911
• September 26, 2019 - Judge calls case a ‘hot mess,’ Andrew Terry trial results in a mistrial
• November 21, 2019 - Police believe new search of Andrew Terry’s cellphone will ‘produce vital information’