In Morris County Superior Court in Morristown NJ, a pretrial hearing began in the case of a 29-year-old Dover NJ man accused of beating to death a 26-year-old Los Angeles man outside a Dover nightclub.

Prosecutors allege that Roman Pacheco used a metal pole to kill Edwin Alexander Chavez.

At the pretrial hearing, a Dover police detective testified that just a few hours after the killing, Mr. Pacheco admitted to having been in a fight with Mr. Chavez. According to the detective, Mr. Pacheco declared that the fight started when Mr. Chavez “grabbed” the rear end of Mr. Pacheco’s wife.

The judge in the case has issued a continuance for the hearing. Mr. Pacheco will return to Morris County Superior Court on December 10, at which time a video-recorded statement that detectives took from Mr. Pacheco is expected to be played in the courtroom.

As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, homicide is a first degree criminal offense. If Mr. Pacheco is convicted of first degree murder, he could be sentenced to life in prison, with a requirement that he serve a minimum of 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.

To learn more about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Hearing Begins in Long-Delayed Case of Fatal Beating Outside Dover Nightclub.“