Mark Adam Prentice, 29, of 1408 E. Hemlock, is charged in the murder of Petty, 34, who was found dead at 8:24 a.m. Nov. 12 off the road near an intersection of South County Road 203 and East County Road 166, the victim of multiple gunshot wounds.
Petty had been an informant for the District III Drug Task Force and was a witness to the shooting of Benny Ceniceros, 41, who was found bleeding from the chest after a barrage of bullets in the early morning hours of Labor Day in the back yard of Ceniceros' home at 702 S. Julian. Prentice is charged with shooting with intent to kill in that incident, along with John Paul Salomon, 24, of 502 W. Cypress.
Preliminary hearings in both cases are taking place in the jail through Thursday, said Jackson County Undersheriff Roger LeVick, with Assistant District Attorney Jan Warren making the case for the prosecution.
Testimony will be heard from witnesses, some of whom are jailed on various other
charges.
No specific threats have been received in regard to the proceedings, LeVick said, adding however that anytime prosecutors seek the death penalty, "you tend to pay attention."
Only 14 people are being allowed to watch the proceedings, he said.
"We're just trying to keep our security up as far as the proceedings," he said, adding that, otherwise, things are "business as usual."
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