SAN DIEGO : Judge Sets Prince Trial for Oct. 26

A judge Monday set a trial date of Oct. 26 for Cleophus Prince Jr., who is charged with murdering six women in San Diego in 1990.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Wellington was assigned the case Friday and will handle the lengthy pretrial motions and trial.

Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty if Prince is found guilty of first-degree murder with the special circumstances of multiple victims and murder during the rape of one victim.

Defense attorneys have indicated they will file a change-of-venue motion seeking to have the trial moved out of San Diego County because of pretrial publicity.

Wellington scheduled an Oct. 5 date to hear any change-of-venue motion that might be filed. Prince is to return to court Friday for a hearing relating to DNA evidence; other dates were scheduled in May and August for further motions.

The first victim stabbed to death was Tiffany Schultz, 20, in January, 1990, in her Clairemont apartment. Janene Weinhold, 21, and Holly Tarr, 18, were slain in nearby apartments in February and March, 1990. Prince lived in the area then.

Elissa Keller, 38, was also found repeatedly stabbed in May, 1990, in East San Diego, near Prince’s new residence. The last two victims, Pamela Clark, 42, and her 18-year-old daughter, Amber, were found stabbed to death in September, 1990, in their University City home.