Crime & Safety
Trial Postponed for Alleged Girlfriend Murderer
Both attorneys are busy with other trials, pushing the case back until September.
Trial was delayed for a man accused of killing a popular Temecula musician due to scheduling problems.
Mickey David Beauchamp Wagstaff, 27, could face life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of killing during the commission of a sexual assault in the Feb. 12, 2009, death of Elizabeth Kellenbarger Amirian.
Amirian, known to local concert-goers as "Bipsy," was stabbed to death in a parking structure at the Promenade mall.
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To read about the alleged assault, .
Wagstaff's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Richard Briones-Colman, requested a trial continuance today, with the concurrence of Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Garcia, who has another case pending.
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Judge Timothy Freer rescheduled trial proceedings for Sept. 26 today.
Wagstaff remained in custody without bail at the Larry D. Smith
Correctional Facility in Banning.
He sat today in a row of jail inmates dressing in an orange prison uniform staring emotionlessly into the crowd of spectators. Two women sat in the back row of the audience wearing T-shirts bearing art from the cover of the only album the victim released.
Prosecutors allege the defendant raped Amirian while she was locked in his Toyota Previa. The couple had been arguing about marriage plans and whether it was appropriate to have sex before exchanging vows, according to sheriff's investigators.
Detectives said Wagstaff had forced the victim to stay with him during the two days leading up to the alleged assault, driving to different locations before finally arriving in Temecula. At one point, the defendant allegedly bound the woman's ankles to keep her from running away.
Moments after the alleged rape, a sheriff's sergeant -- in response to a request by mall security -- approached Wagstaff's vehicle and tapped on the window.
Sgt. Keith Knotek testified during a December 2009 hearing that when Wagstaff saw him standing there, the defendant took out a knife and began plunging it into Amirian.
Knotek said he smashed a window and deployed a Taser to stop the attack, which lasted more than a minute.
Amirian, who was stabbed 39 times in the head, back and neck, died at the scene.
Wagstaff's original attorney, Renee Rupp, argued during a preliminary hearing that her client panicked when he saw the law enforcement officer and did not plan to kill his fiancee.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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