Missouri Man is in court about the fatal 2023 Nile shoot

Niles, me. (Wndu) – A man from Missouri will be on trial in connection with a murder of 2023 in Niles.

According to our reporting partners in the Herald Palladium, 30-year-old James Perry will be confronted with open murder and three other crimes because of the death of Niles, Luke Botica, on September 30, 2023 in the Botica house on the north side of Niles.

Now that Perry is competent for the status of the test negotiation, the case is on the right track later in spring and summer. Perry had been declared incompetent last August and then received treatment in order to become competent in the eyes of the court.

A witness who was at home at the time of the shootout said that Perry and Botica fought over drugs and money in front of the shootout. The witness said Botica told him that Perry owed money to him and Botica would help to found a marijuana growth operation.

The Herald Palladium says Perry's next court date is a case conference on April 2 at 8:30 a.m. in front of the court in Berrien County in the Niles Courthouse.

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