Although there is no death penalty in Alaska, that penalty is available in federal court, where Wade is charged. The decision whether to seek execution in any specific case involves a long evaluation process, starting with a recommendation by U.S. Attorney for Alaska Nelson Cohen, which is evaluated by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. A decision either way must be approved by the U.S. attorney general.
That process means no decision will be made before January 2009, federal prosecutor Crandon Randell said today.
Wade lived next door to Schloss in the Jewel Lake area of Anchorage. Police say he stole her car last August, shot her and used her ATM card to withdraw money from her account. Her body was found weeks later in Mat-Su.
The killing "involved torture and serious physical abuse," according to charging documents, thus making it a potential death penalty case.
Wade is currently jailed in a federal institution in Washington state. He participated in Friday's hearing by phone.
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