Trial date set for 2017 homicide

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Two men arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Omar Earl Rodgers have a trial date set for February 2019.

Khalil Davis, 22, and Michael Jones, 21, were arrested in October 2017 and both charged with first-degree murder while armed. Davis had not previously been charged with an offense before this incident.

Defense attorney Andrea Antonelli said her client, Davis, was anxious about getting a trial date scheduled. Due too scheduling conflicts, a trial date was set on Feb. 4, 2019.

Prosecution attorney Alicia Long requested to push the trial date back to March, but Judge Judith Bartnoff declined her request, saying that there was no valid reason for prolonging the trial.

In addition, since both defendants opposed being held without bond, Judge Bartnoff asked defense counsel to file a motion to reconsider detention.

Officers arrived on the 1300 block of Good Hope Rd., SE and found Rodgers, 25, with apparent gunshot wounds in a car on Oct. 8, 2017. He was taken to the local hospital where he later died.

A status hearing is scheduled on April 13 for Davis and Jones. Both men are being held without bond.