A Camp Pendleton Marine was in military court this afternoon, accused of beating his roommate to death with a crowbar.
Lance Corporal Darren Evans was accused in the beating death of his roomate, 19 year old Lance Corporal Mario Arias Jr. in November of last year.
Arias was found dead in his barracks room on Camp Pendleton after being hit repeatedly in the head with a crowbar.
Authorities were called to the barracks after Evans jumped from a third story balcony just minutes after Arias' death.
During the pre-trial hearing in March, prosecutors said that Arias had confronted Evans about alchohol abuse and that Evans became engraged and killed Arias using the claw end of a crowbar.
According to the North County Times, Evans' lead attorney made no attempt to dispute that Evans killed Arias during that hearing, but argued that the murder was not premeditated.
Evans is being court martialed for premeditated murder, among other charges including intentionally injuring himself and violating orders against underage drinking.
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If convicted, Evans could be sentenced to life in prison or even death.
It is unknown at this time how Evans pleaded in court Monday.
