CORVALLIS - Now that all documents in the murder trial of Joel Patrick Courtney have been turned over to defense attorneys, conversations about a plea agreement involving recovery of Brooke Wilberger's body can begin, Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said Friday.

Haroldson announced last year that he would seek the death penalty for Courtney at trial, but presumably a plea bargain would trade his guilty plea and information about Wilberger's whereabouts for a recommendation of a life sentence instead.

The missing girl's parents said early in July they were OK with such a deal.

Courtney, 42, was not present for a preliminary hearing Friday in which attorneys updated the court on the case.

Haroldson told Judge Locke Williams that he had forwarded several thousand pages of documents to defense attorneys Steven Krasik and Steven Gorum and plea negotiations could become "fully engaged."

"I welcome the opportunity to resolve the case early in the process," Haroldson said. "It's important to the Wilberger family and important to the state of Oregon. I intend to vigorously explore a resolution to the case which would return the remains of Brooke to her family and bring justice."

A trial date of Feb. 1, 2010, already has been set, mainly as a placeholder, Haroldson said. If Courtney opts to go to trial, the court would need to clear a significant block of time.

"I expect that by Sept. 5 we should be prepared to report to the court which direction we are prepared to take: trial or resolution," Haroldson said.

Courtney was indicted in April on 14 counts aggravated murder, two counts of kidnapping and single counts of rape, sodomy and sexual abuse in connection with Wilberger's disappearance on May 24, 2004.

Courtney had been charged in November 2005 with the crimes while facing charges in New Mexico on a separate kidnapping and rape case, for which he later was convicted.

Also in April, Courtney was charged in connection with the unrelated kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, attempted rape, attempted sodomy and attempted murder of two Oregon State University students on the same day that Wilberger went missing.

Courtney remains without bail at the Benton County Jail.