PARIS – The trial of Christian Nielsen, the 32-year-old Newry man accused of murdering four people last year, is scheduled to begin Thursday.

Defense attorneys Ron Hoffman and Margot Joly last month filed a motion to delay the trial after Nielsen’s weight dropped to 108 pounds. On Friday, however, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson said the case would proceed and that no plea had been arranged.

“I continue to speak with Mr. Hoffman and Ms. Joly,” said Benson. “At this point, I expect that there will be a trial.”

Benson said he was preparing the case like any other, through means such as subpoenaing witnesses and readying evidence. On Wednesday, Benson submitted a list of 47 potential state witnesses to the Oxford County Superior Court.

Benson said he estimates he will call between 15 and 20 witnesses, and that the trial will be brief.

“I expect that with jury selection, it will take four or five days,” he said.

Benson said Tuesday’s pretrial hearing will determine whether there was additional evidence on when one of the victims, James Whitehurst, 50, of Batesville, Ark., was killed. Nielsen had made statements that led police to the body which was found burned and buried at a remote site near Upton.

The hearing also will address, among other things, the admissibility of various pieces of evidence and, possibly, Nielsen’s competence.

“It is still possible that it’s an issue,” said Benson.

Justice Robert E. Crowley has ruled that Nielsen is competent to stand trial. But Hoffman recently argued that his client’s weight loss may have affected his ability in that regard.

Tuesday also will mark the review of prospective jurors, who will be asked 14 questions to determine whether they’ll be able to remain impartial during the trial.

“We feel that we can get 12 members in Oxford County who can fairly and impartially make a determination as to the issues regarding his mental health,” said Joly.

While the first question asks if a juror “has heard of read anything concerning this case before coming to court today,” Benson said familiarity with the case will not disqualify a juror if that person can remain impartial.

“The court has gone to great pains to ensure there will be enough jurors present,” Benson said.

Defendants sometimes let a judge hear the evidence in a case like Nielsen’s if it’s particularly grisly, or if it’s a highly technical defense, said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and Loyola Law School professor.

The defense team, however, could decide to put the case in a jury’s hands if pretrial rulings indicate the judge isn’t sympathetic, she said.

“It must be because their interactions with the judge so far indicate he’s not inclined to be sympathetic to the defense. So they’re playing the odds,” Levenson said. “To hang up that jury, they need only one.”

During the trial, Chief Dane Tripp of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy and corrections officer will take Nielsen to the trial from Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta, where he currently resides.

Tripp said Nielsen would also travel to and from Riverview each day, though Oxford County Jail administrator Capt. Ernest Martin said he may be held at the jail if there are no concerns for his health or safety.

“We’ve kind of gone back and forth on that one,” Martin said.

If Nielsen stays at the jail, he will be kept in a holding cell where he can be closely supervised. Tripp said Nielsen would be segregated from the general population at the jail.

Nielsen will wear a bulletproof vest and travel the short distance from the jail to the courthouse by vehicle, Tripp said.

Hoffman’s office said he was on vacation until the day before the trial and was unavailable for comment. Joly declined to answer questions in an e-mail.

Nielsen, formerly a cook in Bethel, is accused of murdering Whitehurst on Sept. 1, 2006, while taking him on a fishing trip.

Nielsen is also accused of murdering Julie Bullard, 65, the owner of the Black Bear Bed and Breakfast in Newry, on Sept. 3, 2006. Nielsen was renting a room at the inn and Whitehurst was staying at the inn as a guest.

On Sept. 4, 2006, Nielsen is accused of murdering Selby Bullard, 30, Julie Bullard’s daughter, and her friend Cindy Beatson, 43, both of Bethel, when they arrived at the inn to check on the elder Bullard.

The women’s dismembered bodies were discovered the same day by Charles Nielsen, Christian’s father, and Lee Graham, Christian’s stepmother, who reported the sla;yings to the police.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.