Police say Schwander killed 16-year old Carly Lewis
TRAVERSE CITY -- A final conference was held Friday for Robert Jensen Schwander, the teen accused of killing 16-year old Carly Lewis.
Schwander was in court as was the Lewis family.
Both the defense and the prosecutor told the judge that after reviewing jury questionnaires, they are confident that Schwander could get a fair trial in Traverse City.
The prosecution also offered a plea deal to reduce the charge to 2nd Degree Murder. That would give Schwander the possibility of parole where 1st Degree Murder does not. Schawnder declined the offer.
The trial will start on October 19th with jury selection, and attorneys said in court that opening statements could also start that day.
Investigators believe 16-year old Carly Lewis was killed in a small, vacant metal building off Woodmere Ave. in early June. They say Schwander moved her body to a sand pile behind a public works site a couple days later.
A pathologist testified at a preliminary hearing that Lewis was stabbed ten times.
