Preliminary Hearing Today For Accused Murderer

State prosecutors must today provide enough evidence to hold up murder charges against a Dundalk man accused of murdering a Bel Air man last month.

Victor Levi Colbert, 32, is charged with second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault in connection with the death of 52-year-old Rodney Holmes Smith.

A preliminary hearing in the case is schedlued to take place at 11 a.m. in Harford County District Court.

The hearing is essentially a show cause hearing where the state must show there is evidence the accused committed the crimes he is charged with. If prosecutors are successful, the case will then be carried over to circuit court. If not, some or all of the charges could be dropped. It is not a hearing to determine guilt.

Police found Smith dead in his apartment in the 200 block of Baltimore Pike in Bel Air on Dec. 9. Charging documents state he sustained stab wounds to the neck and the cause of death was sharp force trauma.

At Colbert's December bail hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Kemba Lydia-Moore said a latent finger print matching Colbert was taken from a vodka bottle inside Smith's apartment.

Colbert addressed the judge through a closed circuit television system that day.

"I cannot control the charges trumped up against me," Colbert said. "There are clearly loopholes in this case."

His lawyer interrupted Colbert and advised him not to talk about the circumstances surrounding the charges because anything he said could be used against him. The defense attorney argued that Colbert has never failed to appear in court and wants to return home to be with his mother who is suffering from cancer.

"I didn't do this," Colbert said.

Check back with Patch this afternoon for updates on the case.