BANGOR — A date has been set for next February for the murder trial of Frederick Allen Jr., a Newport man who was charged with his wife’s murder in January.

Frederick Allen Jr.  Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office via News Center Maine

During Thursday’s conference on the status of the case at the Penobscot Judicial Center, Assistant Attorney General Lisa Bogue and Allen’s defense attorney, Jeffrey Toothaker, agreed on the trial date set for Feb. 22, 2021.

Allen, 40, made his first court appearance Jan. 10 when he was arraigned on the charge of murder and has since been held at the Penobscot County Jail without bail.

It was also disclosed at Thursday’s conference that the defense has hired an independent provider to conduct a psychological evaluation of Allen.

Toothaker objected to a motion from the state to perform its own psychological evaluation of Allen, but agreed to allow the state forensic service to have access to the records from the doctor the defense has hired.

Allen was arrested and charged with murder after police found the body of his wife, Anielka Allen, 37, in the Newport home the couple shared with their two children on Jan. 9.

Anielka Allen Contributed photo

A 911 call lead Newport police to the home at 16 North St. just after 10 a.m. that day.

Anielka Allen was a student at Beal College in Bangor and was just a few credits shy of graduating from the medical assisting program before she died. The school held a vigil for her on Jan. 20 where friends, teachers and colleagues described her as hardworking, sweet and a good mom.

Many at the vigil said they were unaware of any trouble in Anielka Allen’s home life despite her having filed for divorce just one month before her death.

The Allens, who had been married since 2000, made a joint statement Dec. 8, 2019, that pointed to irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. They divided their assets and ownership of the house was given to Frederick Allen.

Two days later, Anielka Allen submitted a handwritten statement that retracted the original agreement. But one week later,

Anielka Allen dismissed the divorce in another handwritten statement that included mention of an “agreement to attend marriage counseling to work (the) marriage out.”

Frederick Allen has not yet entered a plea.