HAMILTON, Ohio – An Ohio judge has rejected a request to move the trial of two men charged in a 2015 house fire that resulted in the death of a firefighter.
But the Butler County Common Pleas judge said Monday the defense request to move the trial because of heavy pretrial publicity could be revisited as jury selection gets underway in November.
Prosecutors allege homeowner Lester Parker solicited his nephew, William "Billy" Tucker, to set the fire that resulted in the death of a Hamilton firefighter Patrick Wolterman. The firefighter died after falling through a floor of the burning home.
The two men have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and arson.
The judge also denied a request to hold separate trials for the two defendants.
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