Ryan Barden, age 30, last known address, 56 Grant St., Laconia

NASHUA — Advised last week by a prosecutor in the murder case of Ryan Barden, who is accused of killing Nashua resident Jared Daly in August, that the vast amount of discovery collected so far is approaching 1,000 pages, a Superior Court judge has granted the prosecutor’s request to extend the discovery deadline until the end of the year.

Barden, 30, last known address of 56 Grant St. in Laconia, is facing two counts of second-degree murder, one of which accuses him of “knowingly causing the death” of Daly “by striking him in the head,” and the other of “recklessly” causing Daly’s death by “striking him in the head under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life,” according to the complaints.

The lead prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Heather Cherniske, had initially motioned the court in September for a 60-day extention of the discovery deadline, citing “the complex nature of this case.”

Superior Court Judge Charles Temple granted the 60-day extension, which pushed the deadline to last week, prompting Cherniske to motion for an additional extension that expires Dec. 30.

Barden’s lead attorney, Jaye Rancourt, assented to both motions, meaning she agreed not to object to them.

The parties are due in court today for a dispositional conference, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in Temple’s courtroom at Hillsborough County Superior Court South.

As of the filing of the second motion, Cherniske wrote that the state had already provided Barden’s lawyers with 900 pages of discovery, “with more forthcoming.

“The large amount of discovery to date reflects the breadth of the investigation … which has entailed not only numerous interviews, but also the accumulation of surveillance videos and records,” according to Cherniske.

She also told the court that prosecutors “will provide rolling discovery to the defendant throughout this time period,” meaning they will pass discovery material on to the defense as it is received.

The series of events that led to Barden’s arrest began on Aug. 11, when Nashua police were called to Daly’s apartment at 5 Hanover St. to conduct a welfare check.

Upon entering the apartment, officers discovered the body of a man, later identified as that of Daly, in the living room.

Based on their investigation, and the results of an autopsy conducted at the medical examiner’s office in Concord, officials determined Daly was killed in the early morning hours of Aug. 9.

Daly had been bludgeoned to death, investigators said, adding that he died of head injuries. They didn’t indicate whether he was attacked with an object or was beaten by a suspect.

Within days of Daly’s death, investigators developed information that pointed to Barden as a possible suspect, and announced they had issued a warrant for his arrest.

The following day, a contingent of deputy U.S. Marshals assembled a task force of local and regional law enforcement personnel, which, based on information they had developed, headed to the Lakes Region town of Belmont in search of Barden.

The task force, which included members of Nashua, Belmont and Greenfield police departments and the Belknap County Sheriff’s office, tracked Barden to a residence on Stark Road in Belmont, where they found him hiding in a bedroom closet, officials said at the time.

Daly, who was 35 at the time of his death, was described in his obituary as “outgoing and caring … always there to care, encourage and help anyone in need.”

Family members include his wife, Samantha Daly, along with a son and a stepson, according to the obituary.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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