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Two men will stand trial for their roles in the shooting death of Mauricio Martinez, whose body was found inside a car abandoned in the parking lot of a Cottonwood Heights credit union.
Judges ordered Jorge Arturo Castanon-Serrano and Lucas Troy Neilson to stand trial on Friday after separate evidence hearings held this week in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court.
Both men are charged with first-degree felony counts of murder and aggravated robbery in the May 27 incident. Each carries a maximum possible punishment of life in prison.
Neilson is also facing a third-degree felony for being a restricted person in possession of a firearm, which is punishable by a prison term of up to five years.
Two other men, also accused of similar charges in Martinez's death are set for evidence hearings at later dates.
Marco Antonio Garcia's hearing was continued on Friday until Nov. 18, and Alfredo Lolani will appear in court on Dec. 20.
The body of 31-year-old Martinez, was found in the passenger seat of a sedan by construction workers in the parking lot of a credit union at 6440 S. 3000 East in Cottonwood Heights, although police believe he was shot in Salt Lake City.
A medical examiner found Martinez died of a gunshot wound in the neck.
Prosecutors say Castanon-Serrano met up with Martinez and a mutual acquaintance, Alejandro Guardado, on May 27 to settle debts with both men.
Martinez was shot as the three sat in the car, by two men who approached the vehicle from the right, Guardado told the court on Wednesday, although he said he was unable to identify the men.
"It was dark," he said. "I couldn't see anything. It was night time."
Police later arrested Neilson and Lolani, whom they identified from surveillance camera footage.
Guardado testified that he drove away from the scene to take Martinez to the hospital, but his friend died in the car. Castanon-Serrano then hopped out of the sedan and fled at a red light. He took money from Martinez' pockets when he fled, Guardado said.
Castanon-Serrano, who was also called as a witness Wednesday, told the court that he met earlier in the day with Marco Antonio Garcia, and several others to plan an assault on Guardado, who owed him $2,000 for a car. He also said Guardado threatened to kill him as they drove away from the site of the shooting, which is why he bolted from the car.