BEND, OR -- A pre-trial hearing in the case against Edwin Lara continues today in Deschutes County Court. He's charged with four counts of aggravated murder in last summer's death of Kaylee Sawyer in Bend.
District Attorney John Hummel says this week's proceedings are centered on determining whether statements Lara made to law enforcement after his arrest in California are admissible at trial. "Mr. Lara made statements to the arresting officers and to other people and the court proceedings are to determine whether the jury in this trial is going to be able to hear what those statements were. The defense argues that many of those statements are inadmissible, and I'm arguing that all the statements are admissible. So, Judge Adler will have to make a ruling on that." He expects the judge won't rule on the defense motion until the fall. "Over Two days in September, we are going to present more witnesses and make our legal arguments at that point and then the judge will decide after that hearing in September. So there's still a few months until Judge Adler makes his decision."
