Man charged with murder makes initial court appearance
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IDAHO FALLS — A man charged with second-degree murder made an initial appearance in court Tuesday in Bonneville County.
Bond remains at $200,000 for Justin C. Sarbaum, who is charged in the death of a 32‐year‐old Idaho Falls man.
During the hearing Sarbaum was given a court-appointed attorney to represent him.
Sarbaum was booked into the Bonneville County Jail early Sunday morning.
According to police reports, officers responded to a “shots fired” call in the 2700 block of St. Clair Road just after 5 p.m. on Saturday. When officers arrived at Sarbaum’s apartment, they found the body of a man who had died from gunshot wounds.
Police say detectives learned Sarbaum and another man had gotten into an argument. During the argument, Sarbaum shot and killed the other man, according to a news release from Idaho Falls police.
Sarbaum’s wife, Jessica Scheper, told EastIdahoNews.com that her husband and the victim had been best friends for years.
“They were neighbors for a long time, and they would go hunting and ride ATVs together,” Scheper said.
Sarbaum has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan 31.
If convicted, Sarbaum faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.