Brattleboro
Leonard Moffatt, 40, of Sharon, is suspected of shooting Sultan Rashed, of Brattleboro, on Nov. 9, 2015. Rashed was found dead in his vehicle at Brattleboro Collision Auto Body Shop.
A $10,000 debt over cocaine is believed to be a motivating factor in the incident. Moffatt is being charged with first-degree murder.
On Thursday at Windham County Superior Court Criminal Division, Windham County Deputy State’s Attorney David Gartenstein said more depositions were made following a weight-of-the-evidence hearing last December. Other interviews are anticipated before the trial is scheduled.
Gartenstein said he and defense attorney Chris Montgomery had discussed the length of the trial.
“Preliminarily, I would anticipate somewhere between seven and 11 days of trial,” Gartenstein said. “So we’re talking 2½ weeks for the trial.”
Moffatt is facing drug-possession charges after an ounce of cocaine was found at his home in Windsor County at the time of his arrest.
Gartenstein said the state is seeking to have those charges transferred to the Windham County court.
“Very recently,” Gartenstein said, “we did locate individuals who had provided to the defendant a .22 caliber rifle, which is different than the weapon he was known to carry.”
Moffatt’s vehicle is expected to be the subject of a new search warrant. Images of the car will be needed so they can be compared with surveillance footage from local businesses previously submitted as evidence.
Moffatt has been held without bail for a year now, Montgomery said, mentioning the possibility of submitting an application for Moffatt to post bail with conditions regarding supervision under the Department of Corrections.
“Throughout the investigation, it doesn’t appear this case is any stronger than it was when we were here on the first day,” said Montgomery.
Judge Katherine Hayes said she thought some new information from Gartenstein “might change things a bit.”
After eight friends and family members of Rashed sat through a couple of arraignments and other hearings Thursday, Hayes said the next pre-trial conference could be scheduled for a half hour when no other proceedings are planned.
CORRECTION
Leonard Moffatt, of Sharon, faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting death of a Brattleboro man on Nov. 9, 2015. The charge was incorrect in an earlier version of the headline on this story.