Trial rescheduled in slaying of Modesto woman buried in shallow grave

A judge has rescheduled a trial to start Jan. 25 for man accused of stabbing his girlfriend and burying her body in a shallow grave in Modesto.

Anthony Coxum, 38, is charged with murder in the death of 28-year-old Eldoris Graham, along with an enhancement of using a knife in the crime.

Graham’s body was unearthed from the shallow grave under a pedestrian bridge at Creekwood Drive and Claus Road, near Johansen High School in east Modesto. She was missing for about a month before her body was found.

Investigators testified in a preliminary hearing that Graham was stabbed five times in her face, neck and chest. There were a few superficial cuts on Graham's left hand to indicate there was a struggle and that she tried to defend herself when she was stabbed.

Coxum remains in custody with his bail set at $5 million. Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Nancy Ashley on Tuesday also scheduled the defendant to return to court Dec. 8 for a pretrial hearing.

The attorneys have estimated the trial next year will last about three or four weeks.

This story was originally published June 17, 2015 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Trial rescheduled in slaying of Modesto woman buried in shallow grave."