UPDATE: Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Stephens has turned down Monday's defense requests to separate the charges against Lester Parker and William Tucker and hold their trial(s) outside of Butler County.
The judge did say that the issue of changing the trial venue could be revisited after the first effort is made to seat a jury when the trial starts in November.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
(Hamilton) An attorney has filed a change of venue motion and asked that the two men be tried separately. A judge is hearing pretrial matters in the case of Lester Parker and William Tucker.
Both men have plead not guilty to murder and arson charges for the 2015 fire that claimed the life of a Hamilton firefighter.
Patrick Wolterman was killed when he fell through the floor of the home on Pater Avenue.
Investigators claim Parker solicited his nephew to set the fire. The two are scheduled to go on trial in November.