Trial date set for ex-Marine
After more than three years a firm trial date has finally been set for the former Marine charged in the death of his 20-month old stepdaughter.
Jared Cardwell, who was a lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma before being administratively separated from the U.S. Marine Corps, has been charged with seconddegree murder in the May 2015 death of toddler Celine Matus.
In a hearing before Superior Court Judge Stephen Rouff, a prosecutor from the Yuma County Attorney’s Office asked for the trial to be set for sometime in late May, preferably after the 19th.
She added that she anticipates the trail to last about three months. Cardwell is being represented by attorney Michael Breeze of the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office.
Rouff granted the prosecution’s request and scheduled Cardwell’s trial to begin on May 22, 2019. The trial will continue each week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday until it is concluded. He also set a final pretial conference for 8:30 a.m. on April 23, 2019.
Matus was found unresponsive in base housing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on May 19, 2015, and Cardwell was arrested three days later. The toddler died of blunt force trauma to the head.
The U.S. Marine Corps initially brought Cardwell up on charges under the articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but the case was eventually turned over to the Yuma County Attorney’s Office, which is now prosecuting it.
The trial had tentatively been set to began on Dec. 12 at Cardwell’s previous hearing, but Rouff had stated that he was willing to postpone the trial if the defense was not ready by then.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook. com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.