Trial Delayed in Rape, Murder of 11-Year-Old Girl
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The trial of a man charged with raping and murdering an 11-year-old honor student was put on hold Tuesday after the prosecutor sought additional hair samples from the defendant.
James Heard, 38, is charged with strangling and bludgeoning Katrina Brown, his girlfriend’s daughter, on Dec. 19, 1990. He also is charged with raping her with a foreign object and attempting to poison her with rubbing alcohol.
But his trial, scheduled to open Tuesday in Compton, was delayed after Deputy Dist. Atty. Pamela Frohreich sought a court order directing Heard to stop shaving so investigators can take additional samples of his facial hair.
Heard’s defense attorney, Joan Whiteside Green, opposed the motion. Superior Court Judge Thomas R. Simpson delayed ruling on the motion until Oct. 21.
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