A 17-year-old girl charged with murder in the stabbing death of her ex-boyfriend was released on bond Wednesday after a prosecutor's illness caused her trial to be postponed.

It was the second time Melanie Elaine Engleman arrived for trial in Roanoke Circuit Court only to have the proceedings delayed. She had been held at the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Center since June 3, when she was arrested after the slaying of 19-year-old William Christopher Linn.

According to testimony in previous hearings, before he died, Linn told police that Engleman had stabbed him.

The first attempt to try her as an adult on the murder charge began Dec. 15. Her attorney, Chris Kowalczuk, indicated to potential jurors that he would argue self-defense.

But when a full panel of 12 jurors could not be seated, Judge Charlie Dorsey declared a mistrial. Engleman continued to be held without bond.

Wednesday morning, after Senior Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Alice Ekirch told the judge that the lead prosecutor, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Betty Jo Anthony, was out sick, Dorsey agreed to delay the trial until Feb. 24.

Kowalczuk asked that Engleman be released on $5,000 bond, which he said was all her family could afford. Dorsey granted the request, ordering that she live with her grandmother and placing her on home electronic monitoring.