A 23-year-old man facing the death penalty as a defendant in the murder of an Adams County deputy appeared in court Monday.

Dreion Martise Dearing has been charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 24, 2018, shooting death of Deputy Heath Gumm.
Dearing is also charged with first-degree murder of a peace officer after deliberation, first-degree felony murder of a peace officer, first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree felony murder, first-degree burglary and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, all felonies. He also faces a third-degree assault charge, a misdemeanor.
Adams County District Judge Mark Warner entered not guilty pleas on Dearing’s behalf to all charges, according to a district attorney’s office news release.
Jury selection for a trail is scheduled in September. Dearing’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 12.

![20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg [prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538)

