Craig Stephen Hicks, the man accused of slaying three North Carolina college students because they were Muslim — is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing to determine whether he could face the death penalty.
Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols said in court documents last month he plans to seek the death sentence if 46-year-old accused is convicted of first-degree murder.
Hicks is accused of shooting and killing Barakat, his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19,on 10 Feb.
According to police, a long-running dispute over parking spaces at a Chapel Hill condominium complex appears to have motivated him to commit the crime, a claim rejected by many local Muslims.
However, the victims’ families are adamant that they were under attack because they were Muslims.