Hyrum Murder Suspect Faces Additional Charges

Hyrum Murder Suspect Faces Additional Charges


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LOGAN, Utah (AP) -- Cody Lynn Nielsen, accused of killing 15-year-old Trisha Autry in 2000, has been bound over on additional charges alleging he kidnapped and sexually abused the Hyrum girl.

First District Court Judge Clint S. Judkins made the ruling during a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

Nielsen's attorneys, Shannon Demler and David Perry, filed a motion late Tuesday asking the court to strike the amended charges.

Judkins said he had not had time to review the motion, and would not halt the preliminary hearing to do so.

"I'm not going to allow late-minute tactics to delay this matter," Judkins said.

Judkins said he would rule on the motion after prosecutors have had time to respond.

Nielsen, 30, already faced charges of capital murder, obstructing justice and desecration of a human body. He is alleged to have beaten her to death, dismembered her body and burned and buried the pieces in June 2000.

Nielsen originally pleaded guilty to capital murder, avoiding a potential death sentence, but withdrew his plea in April.

The additional charges are based on interviews with Nielsen conducted Jan. 20 and 22 by Chief Deputy Cache County Sheriff Bob DeGasser and Sgt. Chad Jensen.

Autry was missing for nearly a year before pieces of her remains were unearthed in May 2001 at the Predator Research Laboratory in Millville, where Nielsen used to work.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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