Kennewick murder suspect gets tentative trial date

The Pasco gang member charged with fatally shooting a 39-year-old man last month pleaded innocent Wednesday.

Stephen E. Morfin, 27, appeared in Benton County Superior Court on second-degree murder charges.

His trial tentatively is scheduled Nov. 27.

Morfin has been locked up on $500,000 bail since early Oct. 6 after police found him at a Pasco motel. The white Chevy Impala he is believed to have driven to the slaying scene was at the motel.

Prosecutors allege he killed Martin C. Ibanez shortly after 1 p.m. Sept. 11 during a confrontation in the driveway of a West Seventh Place home.

Morfin told an acquaintance he wanted to talk to Ibanez about money owed, court documents said.

After shooting Ibanez several times, Morfin took off in the Impala, parked the car at a Franklin County property and buried the pistol, documents said.

Ibanez was pronounced dead at the hospital.

This story was originally published October 11, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Kennewick murder suspect gets tentative trial date."