Preliminary hearings were delayed Tuesday for four of the suspects accused in last month's murder of a Elkhorn man. Four other suspects waived their rights to a preliminary hearing.

The body of 45-year-old Brian Carson was found in the trunk of an abandoned car a few miles northwest of Elkhorn on April 5th.

His 19-year-old son Ryan Carson, 41-year-old widow Teresa Carson and 16-year-old Colton Novascone and 16-year-old Joshua Dornacker will appear in court separately next month.

The prosecution asked for a continuance and will now try each defandant seperatly. The first will be Novascone on June 15th, Ryan Carson on June 16th, Teresa Carson on June 17th and Dornaker on June 19th.

During Tuesday’s hearing, attorneys for the defendants raised several objections, including that Ryan was not read his Miranda rights before making some statements to police. "They already have crucified and hung him without knowing all the facts,” said family friend Joanne Ward.

Ward and Tasha Lienemann, another family friend, said Ryan is not the person the prosecution portrays.

"To me they are trying to make him a mass murderer, a little serial killer, like he was on a rampage, like psycho boyfriend and what it was his heart got broken by the girl he loved, was sleeping with his father.”

"It's not fair, it's just not fair, I mean Ryan was a living punching bag for years under his dad and now he finally snapped," said Lienemann.

Four other suspects in the case, 17-year-old Ryan King, 16-year-old Sara Carson (the victim's daughter), 19-year-old Nicole Walker (the girlfriend) and 22-year-old Jeffrey Hill, waived their rights to a preliminary hearing.

Defense attorney James Martin Davis said his client Teresa Carson, charged as an accessory, was not involved in her husband's murder.

"It was Teresa who made the call that led to the investigation being initiated, it was Teresa that pointed out the items of evidence that led to the investigation turning into a homicide investigation."

Davis added there is no evidence she belongs in court. "She didn't know her husband had been killed until much later, she didn't do anything at all to impede the investigation, but did everything that she could to help it.”

The second-degree murder charge against Ryan Carson was upgraded to first-degree murder.

"We've ugraded from second-degree murder to first-degree murder and conspiracy," prosecutor Brenda Beadle said on Monday. "First-degree murder has the element of premeditation, so yes, there is evidence of that."

Documents detailing a police interview with King describe a scenario in which three of the suspects waited inside the older Carson's home at 4024 North 211th Street on April 5th.

When Brian entered the home, his son surprised him by slamming his father in the face with a closed fist. The two fell to the floor and continued fighting. King told police the younger Carson called to King and Novascone for help.

King told officers he got scared and did not hit Carson and that Novascone hit the victim in the head three times with a wrench causing him to bleed. An autopsy would later confirm that he died of blunt force trauma.

King said he and Novascone tried to clean the bloody carpet afterward and then returned to Mississippi.

In his interview, King also told officers that the original plan was not only to kill Brian, but also two other people who lived in a trailer he owned. The plan changed when it was realized the victim would be at his other home and those two roommates, who would have been victims, were drawn into the plot. The roommates are now among the eight suspects.

The story emerged that Brian Carson and his son Ryan had a turbulent relationship for several years. Earlier details indicated that the father was having a sexual relationship with the son's girlfriend, Nicole Walker, who is one of the eight, charged as an accessory.

Ryan Carson was recently living in Mississippi where he met King and Novascone.