PAULS VALLEY, Okla. – An Oklahoma man accused of killing a man, cutting up his body and stuffing the remains into cement-filled buckets has been ordered to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge.
A judge ruled Thursday that there is probable cause to try Justin Hammer in the Aug. 7, 2012, death of Brandon Duran.
Special Judge Trisha Misak scheduled a formal arraignment for April 26.
Prosecutors say Hammer shot then dismembered Duran, whose body parts were later found in buckets immersed in a pond in rural Elmore City, 65 miles south of Oklahoma City.
Defense attorney Irven Box says Hammer shot Duran in self-defense after Duran forced his way into his home. Authorities say Hammer told police that he panicked after the shooting and cut Duran's body up to dispose of it.
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