A Jan. 26 preliminary hearing has been set for Martin Joseph Foster, 54, who is charged with the murder of his girlfriend who was found dead in an encampment behind a commercial complex in the 600 block of Saturn Boulevard.
Foster has pleaded not guilty in the Aug. 4, 2015 death of Cheri Casey, 61, who is also known as Chery Dillon-Casey, of San Diego. She sustained blunt force trauma to her upper torso, according to San Diego Police.
An autopsy was conducted Aug. 5 and her death was ruled a homicide. Foster, who hails from Colorado, was considered a person of interest. Later on Aug. 5, police responded to a radio call to check the welfare of Foster in the 100 block of G Street in San Diego.
Foster was taken to a hospital for minor injuries for treatment. He was treated and then booked into jail for murder. A longtime experienced defense attorney, Juliana Humphrey, was named to represent him, but she could not be reached for comment.
The area where the body was found was described as the Egger Highlands area and sometimes called Nestor. Bail was set at $3 million by a Chula Vista Superior Court judge, and he remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility.
