Lakeville Man Waives Extradition in 1983 Texas Murder Case

Robert Otteson is being charged with intentional murder of, Frank Varvaez, a man that was killed 31 year ago in Texas. Otteson has been living in Lakeville, Minnesota. He appeared in court in Dakota County last week.  Narvaez was stabbed in a hotel room in Texas on September 30, 1983. Narvaez was a businessman and was only 42 when he was killed. He was stabbed 35 times and was only wearing his underwear. The knife was never recovered. Narvaez’s car was found in Oklahoma City the day he was killed.

Otteson has two kids and a wife. He was working at Xcel Energy at the time he was charged. He was arrested in Lakeville, Minnesota and is now being held on $300,000 bail. He has no criminal history in Minnesota besides some traffic tickets. Otteson will now be extradited to Texas where he has been indicted. There were no leads or tips in the case and authorities now have new evidence that points to Otteson. A shirt recovered in the garbage of Otteson’s home matched the DNA found in the hotel room.

If you have been charged with murder, contact an experienced Minnesota defense attorney. If you are facing extradition proceedings you will need a skilled defense attorney on your side. A defendant can try to challenge the extradition at a hearing. Extradition is a very difficult to overcome. At an identity hearing, the only thing that needs to be established is whether the defendant is the named person in the warrant in the other state. It is important that a Defendant has an attorney in the state he is being extradited from and the state he is being extradited to. If you have been charged with murder or are being extradited to Minnesota contact Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys for a free consultation.

Max Keller has won countless jury trial cases involving misdemeanors and felonies, sex crimes, and DWI’s. He is a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, which only allows the top 50 criminal defense attorneys in the state as members. Max is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

Years of Experience: Approx. 20 years
Minnesota Registration Status: Active
Bar & Court Admissions: State of Minnesota Minnesota State Court Minnesota Federal Court 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals State of Maryland

What to Do If You Have Been Charged with a Criminal Offense

A Santa Clara University study shows that over one million people in Minnesota have criminal records. In Minneapolis alone, 5,713 crimes are reported annually within an area of 100,000 residents. These criminal cases require the defendants to present evidence challenging the prosecutor's narrative. So, when does the defense present evidence in a criminal case? Your defense team presents evidence at the trial phase right after the prosecution team completes outlining the facts it intends to prove and how its evidence will prove you guilty.
Media attention and public scrutiny after conviction can hurt your personal and professional reputation, especially if your criminal case is high-profile. One of the questions you may ask is: How do I handle media attention and public scrutiny after conviction in Minnesota? You can do that by familiarizing yourself with your rights, having a witness present during a media interview, minimizing media consumption, and taking a break from social media. Building a strong support system and working closely with a criminal defense lawyer can help you handle or minimize the impact of public scrutiny.
The timeline for filing pre-trial motions in a criminal case in Minnesota varies with the type of motion. A motion related to the discovery of evidence or dismissal of a criminal case must be filed at least three days before the Omnibus Hearing. The prosecution is then allowed to respond to the motions, and the court sets the timeline for these responses.