BEATRICE – A Beatrice man charged in the September death of a female companion made a brief Gage County District Court appearance Wednesday.

A judge set a further pretrial conference for next March 5th, for 52-year-old Christopher Milke.    He is charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of kidnapping…..related to the shooting death of Tammy Leslie in the couple’s Hillcrest Avenue home, last September.

Milke has pleaded innocent to the charges.

Police responding to the scene broke through a door to the home, rescued two children inside the house and arrested Milke a short time later.  Leslie was found dead inside the home from multiple gunshot wounds.

State and defense attorneys agreed to the March 5th court date to exchange and review additional evidence in the case.   Milke remains held in the Gage County Jail, without a bond amount.  

Meanwhile in a separate case also in Gage County District Court Wednesday....

A 27-year-old Beatrice man charged in the death of a young child he was babysitting while the child’s mother was at work, will face a further pretrial hearing next March 5th.  Austin Meyn is charged with intentional child abuse, resulting in death.  He also faces charges in a second case...which include 1st-degree sexual assault of a child and intentional child abuse with no injury. 

Meyn has pleaded not guilty to the charges in both cases.

An attorney representing Meyn says he has not received the autopsy report on the child victim in the case.   District Judge Rick Schreiner ordered a further pretrial hearing, March 5th.

Meyn was arrested by Beatrice Police after they investigated the death of a four-month-old child that investigators allege had suffered injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Earlier, separate bonds of $1 million and $500,000 had been set for Meyn in the two cases….and he remains in custody.