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Families attend pre-trial hearing for Wayland slaying

WHDH 4/24/12: Families attend pre-trial hearing for Wayland slayingThe families of a murdered Wayland teenager and her accused killer were in court for a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday.  Nathaniel Fujita, 19, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astley, last summer.  Fujita did not appear in court on Tuesday because his attorney said it was only about legal technicalities and possible evidence.

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Computer, Phone Records Part of Discovery Hearing in Murder Case

Wayland Patch 4/24/12: Computer, Phone Records Part of Discovery Hearing in Murder Case. The case of the Commonwealth v Nathaniel Fujita took another step forward Tuesday as the prosecution and defense reach agreement on a number of motions related to evidence in the case. Fujita is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, 18-year-old Lauren Astley, on July 3, 2011, and dumping her body in a Wayland marsh near the Sudbury town line. A passing bicyclist spotted Astley’s body on July 4, and Wayland Police arrested Fujita the following day. A Middlesex County Grand Jury on Aug. 4 indicted Fujita on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery. During a discovery hearing on Tuesday at Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn, prosecutor Lisa McGovern and Fujita’s attorney William Sullivan discussed multiple motions that outline the evidence each party must share with the other.

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No Motion To Dismiss Filed in Wayland Murder Case

Wayland Patch 1/12/12: No Motion To Dismiss Filed in Wayland Murder Case. Attorneys for Nathaniel Fujita elected not to file a motion to dismiss prior to the scheduled hearing Jan. 12 at Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn. Fujita is the Wayland man charged in the murder of 18-year-old Lauren Astley, also of Wayland, in July 2011. William Sullivan, Fujita’s lead counsel, and prosecutor Lisa McGovern met briefly during the scheduled hearing to exchange documents, but the case was not called before the judge. Fujita was not present in the courtroom. Sullivan retains the right to file a motion to dismiss at a later date. The case is due back in court March 22 at 2 p.m. for another pre-trial conference.

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Prosecution Obtains DNA Sample from Wayland Murder Suspect

Wayland Patch 11/1/11: Prosecution Obtains DNA Sample from Wayland Murder Suspect. Prosecutor Lisa McGovern's request Nov. 1 for a buccal (cheek) swab of Nathaniel Fujita went uncontested by the teenager's defense team during a hearing Tuesday at Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn. Fujita is facing charges that he murdered his ex-girlfriend Lauren Astley and dumped her body in a Wayland swamp on July 3. Fujita was arrested on July 5, the day after her body was discovered by a passing bicyclist. A Middlesex County Grand Jury on Aug. 4 indicted Fujita on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery.

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Trial date set for Wayland murder case

Wayland Town Crier 10/13/11: Trial date set for Wayland murder case. A Wayland man is tentatively scheduled to go to trial next year on charges…

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Next Potential Court Date Set in Wayland Murder Case

Wayland Patch 10/12/11: Next Potential Court Date Set in Wayland Murder Case. Nathaniel Fujita could next be in court after the first of the year. During a pre-trial conference Oct. 12 at Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn, defense attorney Bill Sullivan and co-counsel Sabrina Bonanno met with Assistant District Attorney Lisa McGovern to discuss upcoming dates in Fujita’s case. Fujita, a Wayland High School Class of 2011 graduate, is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and classmate Lauren Astley on July 3. Fujita was not present for the Oct. 12 pre-trial conference.

Metrowest Daily News 10/12/11: Nathaniel Fujita's lawyer to ask for murder charge dismissal. A Wayland man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in July is scheduled to argue next year that the charges should be dimissed. Nathanial Fujita, 18, is next scheduled to appear in Middlesex Superior Court on Jan. 12 for a motion to dismiss. Fujita is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astley, also 18, at his 108 West Plain St., Wayland home, on July 3. Today, his lawyer, William Sullivan, and prosecutor Lisa McGovern appeared in court for a pretrial conference. After the pair conferred, they handed paperwork to the clerk, indicating the next court date. Fujita did not appear in court. His parents left court without speaking.

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Fujita Pre-Trial Conference Rescheduled for October

Wayland Patch 9/22/11: Fujita Pre-Trial Conference Rescheduled for October. A pre-trial conference scheduled for today, Thursday, in Middlesex Superior Court in the murder case against Wayland resident Nathaniel Fujita, 18, has been canceled. Fujita is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and Wayland resident, Lauren Astley, 18, on July 3. He is being held without bail in the Middlesex House of Correction in Billerica following his arraignment in superior court on Aug. 23. The pre-trial conference is rescheduled for Oct. 12 at the Woburn courthouse, officials there said today.

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