State Attorney Brad King on Thursday announced his office intends to seek the death penalty in the case against accused killer Sanel Saint Simon.

Saint Simon is accused of killing his former girlfriend's 16-year-old daughter, Alexandria Chery.

King's office took over the Saint Simon case after Gov. Rick Scott removed State Attorney Aramis Ayala from 23 murder cases. King on Thursday said his office will be prepared to go to trial by the end of the year.

It has been nearly three years since Chery was killed. Her body was found Aug. 1, 2014, in a wooded area of Reunion, which is in Osceola County.

Investigators said Saint Simon planned to kill Chery days before her death and staged the scene to look like she had run away.

Saint Simon faces several charges, including first-degree capital murder.

Since the Supreme Court ruled Florida's death penalty policy was unconstitutional, the case has been delayed. Now, a new law is in place that allows the case to move forward to its trial date in October.

On March 16, Ayala's office filed a motion to waive the death penalty in Saint Simon's case.

Saint Simon's defense team reacted by allowing its sentencing attorney to step down. That attorney typically handles a defense during the sentencing period for defendants convicted in death penalty cases.

Judge John Marshall Kest on Thursday said the changes regarding the death penalty and a new prosecution team taking over the case might mean that Saint Simon's defense team may need more time to regroup.

Ayala has since filed a lawsuit against Gov. Rick Scott. Kind said his participation in the murder cases might depend on how Ayala's motion plays out in a higher court.

Kest said each side would meet to discuss the Saint Simon case once every 30 days to evaluate the October trial date.