Mark Becker The 24-year-old Parkersburg man accused of killing his high school football coach will stand trial in mid-September.

Mark Becker is accused of first degree murder for the shooting death of Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas. A district court judge has set Tuesday, September 15th as the opening day of Becker’s trial on the murder charge.

Becker is pleading not guilty. A public defender has been assigned to serve as his attorney.

Becker is also accused of eluding law enforcement and other charges stemming from a crime spree that happened the weekend before witnesses say Becker shot his former coach. The trial on those other charges is scheduled to start on October 27th.

District Court Judge Steven Carroll filed paperwork this morning in Butler County District Court in Allison to set the dates for the two trials. Becker entered written pleas of not guilty last week. He’s being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail in Mason City.