The trial for a former Joliet teacher charged with the 2018 murder of his wife has once again been delayed even though it was given a “firm trial date” last year.

The trial for Michael Kazecki, 46, has been rescheduled to Sept. 8. Last year, Will County Judge Amy Christiansen had given the case a “firm trial date” of July 13 after noting it had “taken entirely too long.”

But Kazecki’s attorneys and prosecutors are conducting additional forensic testing in a case where he’s charged with fatally beating his wife, Rebecca Kazecki, 38, after she intervened when he was hitting their son.

Kazecki and his wife were were teachers for Joliet Public Schools District 86.

Kazecki’s case was first charged on Aug. 8, 2018 and it wasn’t until 2023 when it was scheduled for trial in 2024.

Then the trial was rescheduled for 2025 until it was postponed again.

Last October, Christiansen made it clear Kazecki’s case would head to trial on July 13 with no further continuances.

But in April, the judge signed a court order to allow a defense expert to be present and observe another doctor’s forensic examination of Rebecca Kazecki’s brain.

Last May, Christiansen issued another court order that noted “newly prepared” histology slides, which contain thin slices of tissue, would be given to the defense expert for their review and then returned to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

Both parties agreed on June 10 to move Kazecki’s trial to Sept. 8 because the forensic analysis was not complete.

A status hearing has been set on July 20 regarding the analysis.

In 2020, Kazecki’s attorneys had filed a motion for disclosure of all records, including histology slides, reviewed by doctors with the coroner’s office.

Since 2018, Kazecki has been on pretrial release in the murder case after his family posted 10% of a $2 million bond.