PINE BLUFF, Ark. (AP) - A judge has set a Jan. 22 hearing for a man accused of kidnapping and killing a 17-year-old Pine Bluff girl.
The hearing was postponed from last month to allow Kenneth Osburn's lawyer more time to file pretrial motions.
Osburn, 46, is charged with capital murder and kidnapping in the Aug. 27 strangulation death of Casey Crowder. The earlier hearing was postponed because Osburn's mental evaluation report was not complete. Osburn was found competent to stand trial.
Crowder ran out of gas on U.S. 65 at Dumas while she was returning to Pine Bluff after visiting her boyfriend at Pickens. Her body was identified by dental records after it was discovered on Sept. 2, six days after she disappeared.
Osburn has pleaded not guilty.
In the mental evaluation report, Osburn denies having killed Crowder.
He is quoted in the report as saying: "I did not confess. I just repeated what they wanted me to say so they leave my daughter alone. They threatened to lock up my daughter. They asked me to just tell when I used a plastic tie. I said at the end."
Further, Osburn said, according to the report: "They got nothing on me. ... No DNA. ... I did not do it. ... I confessed because they threatened to lock up my daughter. It scares (expletive deleted) of me that they let somebody go away."
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
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Information from: Pine Bluff Commercial, http://www.pbcommercial.com
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