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SALT LAKE CITY — A preliminary hearing for a man accused of killing his 7-year-old neighbor has been slated for June.
The hearing to present evidence against Esar Met, 24, has been set for June 27 through July 1. Met is a refugee from Myanmar, formerly the country of Burma.
Met is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping, both first-degree felonies, in connection with the 2008 death of 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo. The girl apparently walked away from her South Salt Lake apartment on March 31. Her body was found the next day in the bathroom of Met's basement apartment. Authorities believe the child was raped, strangled and beaten to death the afternoon that she disappeared.
Earlier plea negotiations apparently stalled when Met expressed his concerns over pleading guilty, due to cultural misunderstandings. Attorneys have said Met is under the impression that if he were to plead, he would be "summarily dealt with."
E-mail: emorgan@desnews.com
