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Second man charged in slaying of woman found on Highway 138

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A second man was charged this week with capital murder in the killing of a Fresno woman whose body was found last summer in northern Los Angeles County.

Superior Court Judge Mark Hanasono ordered Alex Richard Valdez, 29, and co-defendant Joshua Aaron Robertson, 27, to return to a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on June 8 for arraignment.

The two are charged in the shooting death of Kimberly Harvill, 26, whose body was found Aug. 14 in some brush by a motorist traveling along Gorman Post Road, north of State Route 138.

The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of murder to avoid lawful arrest, murder of a witness to a crime and murder by means of lying in wait, along with an allegation that Robertson personally and intentionally discharged a handgun.

Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Valdez, who was arrested March 24, and his co-defendant.

Robertson had initially been charged along with his girlfriend, Brittney Sue Humphrey, 22, in her stepsister’s killing, but the latest criminal complaint filed in the case does not include a murder charge against her.

The prosecution did not believe it had enough evidence to proceed with the murder charge against Humphrey, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Humphrey is charged along with Robertson with three counts of kidnapping Harvill’s three young children—ages 2, 3 and 5—who were found safe Aug. 24 in a motel outside Albuquerque, N.M., in the care of a goodsamaritan who notified local law enforcement.

Robertson and Humphrey were arrested the following day in Pueblo, Colo, and have remained behind bars since then.

Robertson—who allegedly has six prior convictions—was on post-release community supervision, authorities said.

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