Pair Bound Over For Trial In 2012 Osage County Murder

Two Bartlesville residents have been bound over for trial on murder charges filed in Osage County in the death of a Bartlesville man.

After hearing testimony in a preliminary hearing Monday, an Osage County judge ordered Rusty Petty, 41, and Trysta Shaffer, 28, to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder.

The pair is charged in the 2012 death of Timothy Hauser, 62, who disappeared August 9 after leaving an Osage County casino.

Hauser's body was found December 29, 2012 in a pasture about 4 miles west of Bartlesville.

1/18/2013 Related Story: Investigators Say Body Found In Osage County Is Timothy Hauser

During a court hearing, prosecutors allege that Petty and Shaffer killed Hauser after robbing him. But defense attorneys argued that charges should be dismissed because of a lack of evidence.

Arraignment for the pair is set for September 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.