People crowding into Room 202 for Moore County Superior Court on Monday expecting to see accused multiple murderer Robert Stewart make his first court appearance are going to be disappointed.

Stewart is currently facing eight charges of first degree murder for shooting to death seven elderly patients and one nurse at Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage on March 29. He also faces a charge of assault on a law enforcement officer for shooting a Carthage policeman, Cpl. Justin Garner. Garner was the only policeman on duty that Sunday. He responded to the 911 call, shooting Stewart in the chest as the gunman allegedly attacked him in a hallway at the center.

Stewart's first appearance would take place at the District level, but there is no session of Criminal District Court set for Monday. His April 13 date is therefore, in essence, a technicality. His own lawyers say they fully expect District Attorney Maureen Krueger to move to indict him and have no plans for their client to be brought from Central Prison to Carthage for any hearing on Monday.

The Grand Jury, however, does meet on Monday. Krueger won't say either way, but her going before the Grand Jury to make a case for indictment is what court watchers expect.

When a Grand Jury is impaneled, they first select a foreperson. Bills of indictment are given in a sealed envelope to the foreperson, and jurors meet in secret session. Once they adjourn, the foreperson brings a large envelope into the courtroom and hands it to the judge who opens it and reads.

At that point the Superior Court judge on the bench will announce how many "true bills" have been returned -- but none of the indictments will be read out in court. They become public only after personnel in the office of Moore County Clerk of Court Susan Hicks enter them officially in the records of the county.

That could happen Monday afternoon, or Tuesday, or Wednesday with it being Easter season, the clerk's office could be more short-staffed than usual.