A western Nebraska judge has cleared the way for a Cheyenne County prosecutor to seek the death penalty for a man charged in the shooting death of a Sidney woman
SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) - A western Nebraska judge has cleared the way for a Cheyenne County prosecutor to seek the death penalty for a man charged in the shooting death of a Sidney woman.
Scottsbluff radio station KNEB-AM reports (http://bit.ly/Xyzo60) that District Judge Derek Weimer recently ruled that amended first-degree murder charges may be filed against 53-year-old Larry Martinez in the July death of 30-year-old Mandy Kershman.
Police say he shot Kershman because was angry over a text message from her.
The judge's ruling allowed Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub to add a notice of aggravation, asserting that Martinez has a substantial prior history of serious criminal activity. That is one of the qualifiers for asking for the death penalty under Nebraska law.
Martinez will be arraigned on the amended charge on Feb. 7.
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Information from: KNEB-AM, http://www.kneb.com
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