Murder suspect bound over for trial in Bourbon County

Enough evidence has been presented in the case of Larry Joe Gier to bind him over for trial, officials said Friday.

The 41-year-old Redfield man is accused of one count of second-degree murder in connection with the 1998 murder of 49-year-old Fort Scott resident Gregory O. Hines.

Gier will next be arraigned and appear before Bourbon County District Judge Mark Ward. A date for the arraignment has not yet been set, according to the Bourbon County District Court Clerk's office.

At the arraignment, there will be a formal reading of the charges and a chance for Gier to enter a plea. A two-day preliminary hearing before District Magistrate Judge Rebecca Stephan that concluded Friday was held to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to bind Gier over for trial, Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson said.

The hearing was held in Bourbon County District Court. Johnson is prosecuting the case with Assistant Kansas Attorney General Kristiane Gray. Pittsburg attorney Geoffrey Clark is the defense attorney.

Gier was arrested May 9, 2011, for his alleged involvement in the 1998 murder of Hines, a truck driver. Hines went missing from his residence at 716 S. Judson in July 1998. No body has ever been found.

Gier remains in the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center on a $1 million bond. Authorities said Gier's arrest followed a long investigation by city, county and state authorities.