PORT ANGELES — A man accused of fatally shooting his next-door neighbor in south Port Angeles in June pleaded not guilty to first-degree premeditated murder Friday.
Bobby J. Smith, 58, entered the plea in Clallam County Superior Court.
Judge George L. Wood set an eight-day trial beginning Dec. 12.
Smith is being held in the Clallam County jail on $1 million bail.
Smith is accused of shooting 63-year-old Robert Fowler at Smith’s residence at 211 Vashon Ave. on June 20.
Smith, who reported the shooting to 9-1-1 dispatchers, was not immediately charged pending the results of a lengthy crime lab investigation.
A Clallam County judge issued an arrest warrant for Smith on Sept. 23.
By that time, he had moved to the Amarillo, Texas, area.
After Texas Rangers served the warrant, Port Angeles police took custody of Smith and returned him to Clallam County in handcuffs Oct. 12.
Defense attorney Harry Gasnick told the judge Friday that he received 380 pages and two CDs of information during the discovery process.
Gasnick advised the court that with the amount of discovery information and the nature of the case, it is unlikely that it will go to trial within 60 days.
A status hearing is set for Nov. 18.
After the shooting, Smith told police he shot Fowler several times with a 45.-caliber Colt pistol until Fowler stopped moving on his living room floor, court documents said.
An autopsy report found that Fowler was incapacitated by gunshot wounds before a fatal shot to the brain stem.
Smith told investigators that Fowler had demanded money, took a knife off a table and tried to cut Smith.
Judge Wood signed a protective order on certain images and audio evidence from the investigation.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
