By Peter Hecht
phecht@sacbee.com
An El Dorado County judge today ordered teen lovers Tylar Marie Witt and Steven Paul Colver to stand trial for murder after authorities presented writings by Colver discussing "taking the life of another to be with the one you love."
Witt, who recently turned 15, and Colver, 19, are charged with killing Joanne M. Witt in her El Dorado Hills home after she filed a statutory rape complaint against Colver and handed over her daughter's diary to authorities.
Judge Douglas Phimister declared there was sufficient evidence that Witt and Colver "did plan to do this and conspired to do this."
He ordered Witt and Colver to be arraigned on murder charges Jan. 22.
Earlier testimony today in El Dorado County Superior Court revealed that the teen lovers made plans to marry as they struggled to conceal their sexual relationship from Witt's mother.
Joanne Witt, 47, was stabbed to death on the night of June 11 or the morning of June 12 soon after she provided authorities with copies of her daughter's journal detailing the teen's sexual relationship, according to El Dorado County District Attorney prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Witt, then 14, summoned Colver to kill her mother after she fell asleep at home.
In a journal authorities said was written by Tylar Witt, the teen detailed her romantic relationship.
"Last night, he repeatedly told me he loved me; that he wanted to marry me," an El Dorado County Sheriff's detective read. After offering details on their sexual relationship, Witt allegedly added, "I don't know how long we can keep our love away from my mother... It's so dangerous. I wish it wasn't though."
Earlier today, Witt's public defender, Mark Ralphs, sought to bar the preliminary hearing. He charged that prosecutors had committed "misconduct or at the very least gross negligence" in failing to provide toxicology reports to the defense until just a day before the hearing.
Ralphs said the reports confirmed that his client could not have drugged her mother before the murder, as prosecutors had alleged.
Authorities say Witt told a friend that she spiked her mother's drink so she would pass out, and then called Colver to come over to kill her.
Judge Phimister denied the prosecutorial misconduct motion and allowed the hearing to proceed.
Previous coverage:
Teenager charged with killing mom in El Dorado Hills to be tried as adult - Nov. 25, 2009
El Dorado judge to decide how girl will be tried in homicide case - Nov. 20, 2009
Prosecution outlines lurid murder plot in El Dorado Hills mom's stabbing - Nov. 18, 2009
El Dorado judge to decide whether to try girl as adult in mom's killing - Aug. 25, 2009
Teen fugitives planned suicide, search warrant states - June 24, 2009
Girl, 14, boyfriend charged in slaying of her mother in El Dorado Hills - June 23, 2009
Teen charged with murder in killing of girlfriend's mom - June 20, 2009
Did teen love lead to mom's stabbing death? - June 18, 2009
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