Matthew Donald Tilley, accused of stabbing mother-of-two Suzanne Poll in 1993, remains behind bars after he was refused bail for a third time in March.

He argued he was at risk of contracting COVID-19 as he shared a Yatala Labour Prison cell with three other inmates while also using a public phone.

The now 47-year-old, who was flown from Ballarat to Adelaide last September, has not yet made a plea, but his lawyer Craig Caldicott has suggested Tilley always indicated since he was arrested that he would be pleading not guilty.

The Advertiser reported on Friday prosecutors asked for a 16-week adjournment to finish preparing the case before Tilley was able to make an official plea.

The adjournment was granted and Tilley is next expected to face court in September and a trial was likely to start next year, according to the daily News Corp newspaper.

The Adelaide Magistrates' Court heard a witness had recently picked Tilley out of a photo line-up, which led to detectives conducting even more interviews.

Police reportedly have 350 witness statements and are still performing blood-splatter analysis on evidence from the scene - the Sands & McDougall shop in John Street, Salisbury in Adelaide's northern suburbs.

Police believe Mrs Poll was counting the day's takings with the lights off and door slightly ajar before a man entered and stabbed her to death as she tried to escape through a back room in a suspected robbery gone-wrong.

She suffered about 40 stab wounds, including some in her back which penetrated through her chest.

Tilley was living 300 metres away from the shop at the time.

-with The Advertiser

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