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AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who is facing charges in connection with the death of an Austin man in November 2022 entered a not guilty plea this week as a trial date was set for the case.
According to the Travis County 450th District Court, Gavin Roberts entered a not guilty plea, and the case will go to trial on Feb. 5, 2023.
Roberts, 26 at the time of his arrest, is facing charges of murder and tampering with a corpse, according to officials.
Justin Haden, 34, was last seen on Nov. 1, 2022 at The Domain in north Austin. He was reported missing on Nov. 7, 2022, according to law enforcement officials.
A search warrant revealed that surveillance footage and cellphone records showed Roberts was with Haden the day he went missing.
Detectives with the Austin Police Department traveled to Colorado Nov. 30 to interrogate Roberts, where he at first denied knowing Haden’s whereabouts, according to an affidavit.
However, after detectives presented evidence of Roberts being with Haden the night he disappeared, Roberts requested a map and circled a spot on Ronald Reagan Boulevard, then said he buried Haden under an overpass in the area, according to an affidavit.
Police found Haden’s body near Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Interstate 35 in Williamson County on Dec. 1.
An autopsy was performed on Haden’s body Dec. 2, 2022, and the cause of death was determined to be sharp and blunt force trauma. The manner of death was ruled homicide.
Travis County Jails records show Roberts’ bond is set at $1 million.
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