By LESTER CHANG
A March 17 murder trial has been set for a 21-year-old Sunnyvale man charged with beating his girlfriend to death in Sunnyvale in August 1995.
The trial of Marcus Anthony Eddie Armstrong is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. in Department 24 at Superior Court in San Jose.
Armstrong is accused of killing Dawn Saviya White, who was 21 years old at the time of her death. She also was a resident of Sunnyvale.
Since his arrest on Aug. 17, 1995, Armstrong has been confined at the Santa Clara County Jail.
Armstrong, who was an unemployed clerk at the time of his arrest, was arraigned on a murder charge on Aug. 18 by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office. Armstrong has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Investigators with the Sunnyvale Public Safety Department said White's nude body was found face-down in 15 inches of water in the Hetchy Creek near her parents' home in Sunnyvale on the evening of Aug. 14.
The Santa Clara County coroner's office first announced that White had been strangled, but later determined that she had died from a blow to the head.
Deputy District Attorney Joyce Allegro, who will be prosecuting the case, said Armstrong used his hands to beat White.
An autopsy determined that White died sometime between the morning of Aug. 14 and the morning of Aug. 15.
The Sunnyvale Public Safety Department arrested Armstrong on Aug. 17 at the Cozy-8 Hotel, where the couple shared a room. Police investigators said that they found blood in the room that connected Armstrong with the crime.
Investigators said the couple had troubles during their year-long relationship.
Armstrong had told police that she wanted to break up the relationship, Allegro said.
Public Defender Yolanda Travino will represent Armstrong at the trial.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 22, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.