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(KSL News) A man charged with strangling, stabbing and beating a 75-year-old woman to death will face a death-penalty trial.
After one day's worth of preliminary hearings, a third district judge said she's heard sufficient evidence to try Floyd Eugene Maestas for capital murder and first-degree felony aggravated burglary.
Maestas may face a third charge for forcible sexual abuse. The judge wants lawyers from both sides to argue their positions on whether accusations against Maestas fit the legal definition of abuse.
![Murder Suspect Faces Death Penalty Trial](https://img.ksl.com/slc/0/74/7422.jpg?filter=kslv2/inline_lg)
Maestas is accused of hitting and strangling Donna Lou Bott during a robbery in September of last year.
Maestas has a history of violent crimes, especially against elderly people.