The coronavirus pandemic is delaying the case of a man charged in the shooting death of an Alabama sheriff last year.

Court proceedings are on hold in Lowndes County, which has the state’s highest virus infection rate, so grand jurors have yet to take up the case of William Chase Johnson, 18, who is charged with capital murder in the shooting death last November of Lowndes County Sheriff John Williams.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported that this month’s grand jury session was canceled because of the pandemic and an investigation is continuing. That means it will likely be early next year before a grand jury reviews the shooting.

Williams was shot in the face while attempting to break up a loud gathering at a convenience store in Hayneville.

Johnson, who has not entered a plea, is being held without bond. A gag order issued in the case means attorneys cannot comment outside of court proceedings or in court documents.