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Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009

Hearing continues in 1999 slaying

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A preliminary hearing for a Modesto man charged in the 1999 death of his roommate will continue today in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

The hearing, which began Monday, entered its fourth day Thursday, when a defense attorney cross-examined Modesto police detective Craig Grogan. When the testimony ends, Judge Marie Silveria will decide if Russell Jones should stand trial on murder or manslaughter charges.

Jones, 49, is suspected in the death of Dena Raley-McCluskey, whose body was unearthed in a shallow grave in Tuolumne County on Nov. 1, 2007. He has pleaded not guilty and is held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Raley-McCluskey was last seen Oct. 10, 1999; her former boyfriend reported her missing three days later.