Regional News
Prosecution won't seek death penalty in Chadron homicide
Published Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Prosecutors say they will NOT seek the death penalty in the case of a Chadron State College student charged with murdering his roommate.

25-year old Joe Hotz of Rushville was formally arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Dawes County District Court on 8 felony counts including 1st degree murder, with Judge Brian Silverman scheduling a jury trial for March 1st.

Hotz is accused of stabbing 22-year old Kenny Pfeiffer of Sebastian, Florida, more than 50 times December 5th in the Chadron house they shared. Both men were Chadron State College students.

Handling the prosecution are Dawes County Attorney Vance Haug and Deputy Attorney General Doug Warner...a former Scotts Bluff County prosecutor.

Nebraska law sets specific criteria for the use of the death penalty, and Haug says the Hotz case doesn't meet those standards.

Although the trial is scheduled for March 1st, the defense has indicated it will request a psychological examination of Hotz....who waived his preliminary hearing last month.

Judge Silverman today granted a prosecution motion to hold Hotz without bond as a flight risk.

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