RAPID CITY, South Dakota — A 30-year-old man charged with shooting another man to death and having a sexual relationship with a teenager will have separate trials for the alleged crimes.
Charles Birdhead, of Rapid City, is charged with felony manslaughter for the shooting death of 33-year-old Eustacio Maruffo at the South Dakota Rose Inn on Jan. 7 in Rapid City. Birdshead is also accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old.
KOTA-TV reports (http://bit.ly/13y3mvy) that Judge Wally Eklund severed the charges on Monday. That means that Birdshead will have one trial for the first-degree manslaughter charge and a separate trial for the charges of fourth-degree rape and distributing methamphetamines to a minor.
The first trial is set to start July 29.
Information from: KOTA-TV, http://www.kotatv.com
