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

Students with juvenile convictions in their records and intending to apply for college may wonder, “Do juvenile crimes impact college admissions?” A juvenile crime in Minnesota can lower the odds of your child’s college application getting approved. A conviction of a serious juvenile crime may result in an automatic rejection of college applications. A minor with a criminal record may be disqualified from accessing student loans or grants.
Defendants convicted of a crime may ask, “What is the post-conviction process, and how long does it take?” A petition for post-conviction relief allows you to contest the legality of a criminal conviction or sentence following an unsuccessful direct appeal process or passing the appeal deadline. This petition involves legal issues not addressed at trial or direct appeal. These issues include a constitutional rights violation, newly discovered evidence, and inadequate or ineffective lawyer representation.
Knowing how long the sentencing phase takes in Minneapolis, MN, can help you ease worries and work towards receiving a fair sentence. The sentencing phase of the criminal justice process usually takes only minutes, especially when the judge approves the sentence negotiated in a plea bargain. Sentencing can sometimes be lengthy, particularly when you get convicted at trial, and the judge schedules a hearing to a later date to decide on appropriate legal penalties. The nature and seriousness of the criminal conviction, whether your sentence is negotiated or determined by a judge, and continuance motions are some factors that may affect the length of the sentencing phase.