Miriam Hollis is cowerng in fear behind a chair, and Mustafa Raheem shoots her in the head . . . The body was taken to a trash heap in south Fulton County and set on fire. The hearing in federal court in Kansas City was the latest at which attorneys defending Keith D. Nelson urged a federal magistrate to recommend moving his trial out of the Midwest. Nelson is charged with the capital crimes of kidnapping and sexual abuse that resulted in Pamela's death. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Hays said that lawyers would return to her courtroom soon to make closing arguments on the change of venue.
Hays then plans to issue recommendations to the trial judge.
Nelson's trial is scheduled to open April 23. But that date is looking less certain, Hays said. On Monday, after receiving a letter from Nelson, Hays allowed defense attorney William Shull to withdraw from the case. Shull's departure leaves only one attorney representing Nelson. That is one fewer than federal regulations allow for death penalty cases.