Fake 'Rockefeller' Murder Hearing Delayed

A preliminary hearing slated for Aug. 16 in the case of a phony Rockefeller charged with murdering a San Marino man has been pushed back; a new date will be set this week.

Christian Gerhartsreiter is charged with the 1985 murder of San Marino man John Sohus. Gerhartsreiter posed as royal descendant Christopher Chichester in San Marino in the 1980s and more recently has posed as "Clark Rockefeller," a supposed member of the wealthy family.

A new preliminary hearing date will be set on Tuesday.

“My understanding is they [Gerhartsreiter’s attorneys] are going to ask to continue because they need more time to prepare, just for the preliminary hearing,” Los Angeles District Attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said Monday.

Robison added: “Nothing happens other than they show up for about two minutes, and they pick a next date for the court date, and either that will be the date for the preliminary hearing or they will put it off again. Preliminary setting dates can go for a while—it depends on how much time his team has or wants to get ready.”

The evidence against Gerhartsreiter includes 9,000 pages of discovery documents--which Gerhartsreiter attorney Jeffrey Denner said at the arraignment is “just a start”--and 83 CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes disclosed by prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian.

Findings are presented at a preliminary hearing, and a judge determines if enough evidence exists for a case to go to trial.

Brad Bailey, one of Gerhartsreiter’s attorneys from Boston, told Patch in July that he expects the case to go to trial.

Gerhartsreiter was extradited in July from Massachusetts, where he was serving a sentence for kidnapping his daughter during a supervised visit. He continues to serve his sentence in California.