BOULDER, Colo.—Prosecutors can present evidence of previous allegations against a man who will stand trial in the 1997 slaying of University of Colorado student Susannah Chase.
District Judge James Klein ruled Friday that the value of the evidence outweighs the potential harm to 39-year-old Diego Olmos Alcalde, whose trial is set for June. He is accused of raping and fatally beating Chase.
Defendants’ criminal histories aren’t usually allowed at trial, but state law says they can be if a court finds the prior acts would be used to prove key elements of a case.
Chase was found dead in an alley a block from her Boulder home Dec. 21, 1997. A baseball bat was found nearby.
Police arrested Alcalde last year after saying that DNA samples taken from him linked him to the crime scene.
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Information from: Daily Camera,
