Millionaire Seeks New Trial Over Man's Death In Bunker Fire
ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A wealthy stock trader is seeking a new trial after his murder conviction in the fiery death of a man who was helping him secretly dig tunnels for an underground nuclear bunker beneath a Maryland home.
Daniel Beckwitt's attorneys asked a Montgomery County judge on Monday to schedule a hearing for their written request for a new trial.
On April 24, a jury convicted Beckwitt of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the September 2017 death of 21-year-old Askia Khafra. The 27-year-old faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing set for June 17.
Daniel Beckwitt Convicted In Man's Death In Bunker Fire
Beckwitt's lawyers argue the evidence presented to jurors was insufficient "as a matter of law" to support his convictions. They also claim prosecutors improperly used photographs of extreme hoarding conditions in Beckwitt's suburban Washington home.
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