Neldon Neal, who is charged in the March 2007 shooting death of his wife, Judy, has a new attorney, court records show.
Neal, 64, dropped his public defender and hired John Beger, a Rolla attorney, documents show.
Neal led lawmen on a 62-day manhunt that drew national attention until his arrest in May of last year at a campsite along the Gasconade River in Laclede County.
Neal was wanted in the shooting death of his 51-year-old wife at their trailer on Highway 32.
Neal was sent to prison to begin serving the remaining nine years of a previous prison term on an armed robbery count.
He is charged with second-degree murder. A trial is set for September on a change of venue in Pulaski County.
Separately, federal court records show that Neal entered a guilty plea in May to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
A U.S. District Court judge ordered a pre-sentencing investigation before issuing Neal’s punishment.