New Jersey trial in slayings of 3 women set for April – CityNews Calgary

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey man has been ordered to stand trial in April in the murders of three women and the attempted murder of a fourth.

NJ.com reports that an Essex County judge denied a defence motion Wednesday to split the case against 22-year-old Khalil Wheeler-Weaver into separate trials.

Prosecutors allege that he killed 20-year-old Sarah Butler, 33-year-old Joanne Brown and 19-year-old Robin West in 2016. They also accuse him of trying to kill another woman that year.

Wheeler-Weaver has pleaded not guilty.

The defence argued that it would be prejudicial for jurors to hear evidence from all four crimes before deciding on any one count. But the judge ruled a single trial would allow prosecutors to establish a common scheme or motive for the killings.

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Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com

The Associated Press