Man accused of killing Portsmouth motel clerk to stand trial
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (AP) -- The man accused of murdering in 2002 a Portsmouth motel clerk will stand trial in January for the third time.
Roger Graham already has been tried by the state twice for the murder of Sanjeev Patel. Both trials ended in a mistrial. The state will try again to convict Graham starting Jan. 10, according to The Providence Journal.
Prosecutors say Graham was hired by the victimÔŅĹs brother-in-law, Tajendra Patel, to commit the crime. The two became acquaintances in the months before the killing, though their relationship was confined to drug dealing.
Tajendra Patel was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy during a separate trial last year.
Sanjeev Patel, a live-in manager at the FounderÔŅĹs Brook Motel and Suites, was PortsmouthÔŅĹs first murder victim in 30 years. PatelÔŅĹs 8-year-old son witnessed the slaying.
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