PORT ANGELES — Kevin A. Bradfield’s murder trial is still set for Nov. 5 despite attempts to reach a plea agreement.
Bradfield, 23, is charged with first-degree murder for the strangulation death of 27-year-old Jennifer Pimentel a year ago this month.
“I don’t believe we’re going to be able to reach a settlement in this case,” said Loren Oakley of Clallam Public Defender, Bradfield’s court-appointed appointed attorney, in a Friday court hearing.
“Therefore, we’re going to have to hire some expert witnesses.”
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Ken Williams reset the status hearing for Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m.
“Given what I know about the case, I am not surprised that they would need some expert testimony,” Clallam County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ann Lundwall told Williams.
Bradfield is being held in the Clallam County jail on $1 million bond.
He originally was charged with second-degree murder, but Lundwall upped the charge after a corrections deputy intercepted a letter that “indicated that Bradfield had planned to murder Pimentel to prevent her from accusing Bradfield of rape,” court documents said.
Pimentel, who was developmentally disabled, was a childhood friend of Bradfield’s girlfriend, Kendell K. Huether.
Police allege that Bradfield strangled Pimentel to death in Huether’s Port Angeles apartment with Huether present.
Huether, 25, is charged with rendering criminal assistance to Bradfield for allegedly helping him hide Pimentel’s body in the woods near the Hood Canal Bridge.
She also is charged with two counts of witness tampering for allegedly asking two acquaintances to lie about seeing Pimentel alive after her disappearance.
Huether’s trial is set for Nov. 26.
She is living in the Port Angeles area on electronic home-monitoring and a curfew.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
