ACCUSED MURDERER CHRISTOPHER LEE IN COURT, EVIDENCE ARGUED

Dressed in dark green jail scrubs, and in handcuffs and leg irons, accused murderer 25-year-old Christopher Lee was in a busy Joshua Tree courtroom yesterday morning for a pre-preliminary conference. Lee is accused of murdering Erin Corwin, 19, of Twentynine Palms last summer and dumping her body in a mine shaft east of the city, where it was found seven weeks later. The defense and prosecution lawyers argued about rules of evidence–what testimony should be allowed to be presented in a preliminary hearing today, and who should give it. Judge Rodney Cortez ruled against the defense motion that only the coroner can present Corwin’s autopsy report; the detective who was present at the autopsy can testify to the report’s findings. In addition, the defense objected to introducing text messages from Corwin to a friend of hers as hearsay, while the prosecution contends the texts should be admitted as exceptions to the hearsay rule. Judge Rodney Cortez ruled all the evidence was admissible. The prosecution intends to call as many as nine witnesses today in a preliminary hearing, in which the judge will determine if there is enough evidence against Christopher Lee to force the defendant to stand trial for the murder of Erin Corwin.