Trial date set in Billings shooting death

BILLINGS (AP) – A trial date has been set for a 28-year-old man charged with shooting and killing a Billings man whose body was found outside an apartment building.

The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/185BZ2l) the deliberate homicide trial of Michael Martinez is scheduled to start on Aug. 17. Martinez is charged with killing 36-year-old David Leroy Vallie on Oct. 2 by shooting him in the abdomen.

Martinez was arrested on Nov. 18 in Hardin. Charging documents say police believe they found the murder weapon along with a cellphone logged into Martinez’ Facebook page that had as its background picture an image of Vallie’s body at the crime scene.

Martinez has been jailed on $500,000 bond since his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to the homicide charge in November.

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Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com