SAVANNAH, Mo. — The accused triggerman in a rural slaying sat slumped in a chair as he appeared in an Andrew County courtroom on first-degree murder charges.

Orlando Cruz, 26, appeared in court with a public defender on Tuesday. Mr. Cruz stands accused of shooting and killing Antonio Maravilla-Vargas, 23, on May 2 on a gravel road southwest of Savannah.

Cecilia Quintero, the girlfriend of Mr. Cruz, entered the courtroom about five minutes after 9 a.m. Ms. Quintero, who is also the mother of murder suspect Jose Quintero, told the News-Press Tuesday that “they have nothing on them (her son and Mr. Cruz) and that’s why they (the state) keep coming back.” She declined to speak about any past record her son might have, saying it was irrelevant.

Mr. Cruz’s attorney, Merle Turner, asked the judge to set the case against Mr. Cruz for a preliminary hearing. She hadn’t been able to review any evidence, she told Judge Michael Ordnung. Mrs. Turner also waived formal reading of the charge against her client. The defense attorney told the court that she might ask for a change of venue at a later date. Mrs. Turner also told the court that if the state seeks a death penalty, the public defender’s office would assign the case to its capital crimes unit and she’d withdraw from the defense.

Steve Stevenson, the Andrew County prosecutor, said the state still hadn’t made a decision about seeking the death penalty.

Mr. Ordnung ordered the state to present evidence at a hearing at 1:30 p.m. June 16.

Also watching the proceedings was the victim’s father, Eugenio Maravilla-Vargas, who sat with family friends.

As a shackled and handcuffed Mr. Cruz, wearing a bright red jumpsuit, departed the courtroom, Ms. Quintero watched him pass by and told Mr. Cruz she still loved him.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.