A judge set a tentative date for the trial of two Palm Beach County parents accused of killing their daughter.
In court Tuesday, Judge Charles Burton announced jury selection will begin on Jan. 11, 2018, with the trial to follow.
Deputies arrested Alejandro Aleman and his wife Kristen Meyer last year.Investigators believe the couple starved their baby girl to death. According to records, their 1-year-old daughter weighed more when she was born than when she died.
Both parents face one charge of first-degree murder. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case.
Aleman appeared in court Tuesday, but Meyer was absent. They each have separate defense lawyers. Both attorneys hinted they’d like separate trials.
But prosecutors and the judge said they plan on combining the cases into one trial until they hear a formal argument from defense lawyers listing reasons for separating them.
After Tuesday’s hearing, family members of Aleman grew emotional. One man, presumed to be Aleman’s father, shoved our photographer’s camera when our reporter attempted to ask him questions.