SCOTT CITY MAN ARRAIGNED

OTTAWA, Ill. -- A Scott City, Mo., man has been scheduled to stand trial for murder on Nov. 6, but the county prosecutor has said the date is likely to be postponed.

Richard G. Meyer appeared in LaSalle County Court on Friday for arraignment after being indicted by a grand jury earlier in the week on two counts of first degree murder, concealing a homicide and criminal damage to property, the Daily Times newspaper of Ottawa, Ill., reported.

LaSalle County State's Attorney Michael James has repeatedly stated that Meyers' court dates will probably change. For this reason James, whose term as prosecutor ends in December, has not considered the death penalty.

He said he will leave that decision up to the new state's attorney.

On Friday Meyers repeated his plea of innocent to the charges, while Circuit Judge H. Chris Ryan set dates for attorneys.

A status hearing was set for Oct. 13 for the judge to consider motions that may be filed by the public defender or prosecutor, the Daily Times said. Motions must be filed by Oct. 10.

A final pre-trial hearing was scheduled for Oct. 20.

Police in Peru, Ill., have said that Meyer met his victim, Ernestina Hinojosa, hours before she was killed, the Daily Times reported.

Meyer led investigators to Hinojosa's dismembered body in a trench a few minutes drive from his motel, close to where he had worked on a pipeline project.