TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Two defendants charged in the murder-for-hire slaying of a Florida university professor will be on trial together.
Circuit Judge James Hankinson agreed on Wednesday to merge the pending trials of Sigfredo Garcia and Katherine Magbanua. The move means Garcia’s trial will not start next month as planned.
Authorities say Garcia gunned down Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel in his garage nearly four years ago. Magbanua is accused of helping to orchestrate the murder-for-hire plot that led to the killing of the Toronto native who was internationally known.
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Both Garcia and Magbanua have pleaded not guilty.
Hankinson warned the state that holding a joint trial will limit some of the evidence that can be used.
Police say the killing was sparked by a bitter divorce and family squabbles.
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