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Posted: 2:58 PM-CEDAR CITY -- A southern Utah man will be tried on capital-murder charges for allegedly shooting two St. George men eight times each and then burying them in remote Iron County.

Fifth District Judge G. Michael Westfall on Thursday ordered Martin Chris Nelson, 43, to stand trial after hearing testimony from several prosecution witnesses.

Nelson is accused of gunning down Derek Davis and Chad Grijalva, both 34. Their bodies were unearthed in November on Nelson's property in Beryl, about 40 miles west of Cedar City.

If convicted, Nelson could be executed.

Edward Leis, the state's deputy chief medical examiner, testified Thursday that both Davis and Grijalva had been shot eight times each in the torso and head. Leis said he recovered 11 bullets from the bodies.

David Wakefield, a firearms expert with the state crime lab, testified that those slugs came from a rifle investigators found in Nelson's trailer.

No motive was alleged Thursday. But investigators previously have speculated that Davis drove Grijalva to Nelson's place to collect on a debt.

Iron County Sheriff Mark Gower said his office started looking for Davis and Grijalva - the two had been reported missing Oct. 24 - after arresting Nelson on Nov. 16 for failing to register as a sex offender.

Deputies found parts of a dismantled truck belonging to Davis on Nelson's property. Iron County sheriff's Sgt. Jody Edwards testified that, after obtaining a search warrant, deputies then combed Nelson's property with specially trained dogs.

They found the two victims buried in a shallow grave in an old shed. In a nearby trailer, Edwards said, deputies recovered a stolen .22-caliber rifle between a bed and a wall.

Nelson, who attended Thursday's hearing in orange garb and shackles, remains in the Iron County Jail.

After the hearing, Nelson's Salt Lake City attorney, Stephen McCaughey, said the defense now will prepare for a capital trial.

Iron County Attorney Scott Garrett is doing the same. "We feel good about our evidence," he said, "and are confident going forward."

More than two-dozen family members and friends of the victims attended Thursday's hearing.

Outside the courtroom, Davis' former wife, Kary Davis, described her ex-husband as a good dad to the couple's three children.

"He had a heart of gold," she said, "and was someone who would always help a total stranger."

Grijalva's father, Fred Grijalva, described his son similarly.

"He was a great and considerate guy," he said. "He loved and trusted everyone."