A 58-year-old man accused of the murder of a former Denver disc jockey -- who was killed in 2006 and whose remains were found off the coast of Catalina Island -- appeared in court briefly Thursday for a pre-trial conference.
Harvey Morrow is charged with first-degree murder and an enhancement that alleges the slaying was carried out for profit in the death of the victim, Steven B. Williams.
Morrow had been a close friend of Williams and in the years before Williams' killing, the two men had planned to sail the world on Morrow's 69-foot boat, authorities said.
At the time of Morrow's arrest and extradition from Great Falls, Mont., to Long Beach, Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators said it was an argument over money that likely spurred Morrow to deadly violence.
"There was approximately $1.9 million missing from Steven's account. We know that money went into Harvey Morrow's account.
"Steven talked to a close friend the night before and told the friend he was going to confront Harvey Morrow and tell him that he wanted his money back," said Homicide Lt. Al Grotefend.
"We believe that's what caused the actual confrontation which resulted in this murder."
Sheriff's investigators also said there are no eyewitnesses and no murder weapon was ever found.
Earlier this year, at Morrow's preliminary hearing, a coroner's examiner testified that the autopsy determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound in Morrow's head. The expert also testified that the wound could have been self-inflicted, or suicide, or murder; there is no way to know for certain.
The defense argued both those factors as reasons to dismiss the charge against Morrow in January but the court ruled there was sufficient evidence to try Morrow in the slaying.
The victim's death made headlines in several states across the country due in large part to Williams' career as a disc jockey in Denver.
"Steven B," as he was known on the air, was half of the popular "Steven B and the Hawk" morning show on KBPI in the 1980s.
Morrow, who was arrested in November of 2006, is being held without bail.
He was ordered Thursday to return to the Long Beach Superior Court's Dept. C for another pre-trial conference on Jan. 29.
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