Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Man charged with murder held in jail
Charles Bergman heads into Lincoln County Superior Court for his initial court appearance.
DAVENPORT-A Moses Lake man charged with the murder of his wife entered a not-guilty plea in Lincoln County Superior Court Tuesday. Charles R. Bergman, 54, appeared in court Dec. 13 after he was extradited by the U.S. Marshals back here last week.
Bergman is charged with first-degree murder after the body of his wife, 53-year-old Theresa Bergman, was found 12 miles northwest of Sprague off Stolp Road Thursday, Sept. 22 after the pair had been reported as missing persons in Grant County.
Charles Bergman was arrested in Pennsylvania and waived his extradition Oct. 4.
He appeared before Superior Court Judge Jeffrey S. Barkdull Tuesday, who asked if he had any money to hire a private attorney.
"I don't have anything," Bergman said. "I don't own a house. I don't even own a car."
Therefore, Barkdull assigned Bergman two public defenders. Dave Hearrean was assigned to be primary counsel, while Kara Hill was assigned second chair.
"In light of the seriousness of these charges, I felt a second attorney would be necessary," Barkdull said.
After Bergman officially entered a not-guilty plea on the first-degree murder charge, county prosecuting attorney Adam Walser asked that Bergman be held without bail or bond. Barkdull granted that request after the defense offered no argument.
Barkdull then set a trial date of May 17, though Walser indicated in court he expects a lengthy date for actual trial beginnings. A readiness appearance was scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, which is Bergman's next scheduled court appearance.
Bergman's case is the first homicide case in Lincoln County since June 2002, when trucker Ralph Benson murdered and dismembered fuel tax auditor Roger Erdman in a missile site south of Davenport.
Theresa Bergman's body showed signs of trauma to the right rear side of her head. Charles Bergman was seen on video buying a small metal shovel, a sharpening stone, a tow strap, a flashlight and batteries in two separate transactions at a Walmart in Moses Lake Sept. 17, according to records.
The hunt for Theresa Bergman's body included efforts from Grant, Spokane and Lincoln County law enforcement, but she was ultimately found by an area farmer tending his fields.
Charles Bergman is accused of killing his wife after picking her up from Spokane International Airport just after midnight Sept. 18, according to police records.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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