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.

He has won jury trial cases in misdemeanor and felony cases and in DWI’s and non-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. He is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

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

People facing criminal charges in Minnesota often ask, “Can you defend yourself in court?” You can represent yourself in court when charged with a crime. Self-representation, however, is not typically in the accused's best interests, even if courts allow it.
Parents whose children have been arrested or accused of committing a heinous crime might wonder, “Can a minor be charged with a felony?” A minor aged 14 years or older but below 18 years may face felony charges in Minnesota.
People accused of or under investigation for assault might ask, “What are the charges for assault?” Minnesota has five levels of assault charges. First-degree assault is the most serious offense, and a conviction often results in the most severe penalties, like long prison time and hefty fines.