Preliminary Hearing Begins For Man Accused Of Killing Wife

A judge orders a man to stand trial, who's accused of murdering his wife and hiding her body in her car.

Three people testified at Chris Morland's hearing Thursday.

Cassidy Ritchie's family and friends wore purple shirts in her honor.

“We want to wear this today to show my mom is still around, still here," said her son Joey David. "We’re here as well to attribute her and her passing. She's a beautiful soul, beautiful mom, a great human.”

Cassidy was reported missing in January.

She'd been married for a month to Chris Morland, who quickly became a person of interest.

Family and friends searched for her near where her car was found crashed and abandoned on Highway 412.

A witness testified she often heard Cassidy and Morland fighting and said Morland followed her everywhere.

A Tulsa homicide detective testified when detectives first talked to Morland, he referred to Cassidy in the past tense.

He said Morland told police the two got in a fight on January 21st, he left to get gas, and when he got back, he realized Cassidy was dead.

Police found her beaten body covered in blankets in the back of her abandoned vehicle a week later.

“We heard some stuff today we didn't know happened in the whole process," Joey said. "But you know, it's what comes throughout this whole thing.”

Cassidy’s son said his mom was loved by everyone who knew her, and everyone is hoping for justice.

"We want him gone; that's all we want, for him to never do this to anyone again," he said. "And for him to just sit in a four-by-four cell and think about what he's done the rest of his life.”

Morland has prior convictions for assault and battery and first-degree burglary.

His attorney argued that the charge should be manslaughter because there's no evidence it was premeditated.

The prosecutor responded by saying the medical examiner's report showed Cassidy had 55 separate injuries on her body.