November 2025 trial date set in Bend murder case
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A November 2025 trial date was set Monday for a 51-year-old Bend man accused in the fatal stabbing of his roommate in early August.
Robert Carter Lawrence was arrested the night of August 1 after police responded to a report of a deceased person at a home in the 608000 block of Raintree Drive, north of Knott Road and east of SE 15th Street. Officers found Matthew Kenneth Hallberg, 57, deceased in the backyard.
Prosecutors said a neighbor could hear Hallberg calling for help, saying Lawrence was trying to kill him. They said Lawrence admitted killing Hallberg, who suffered several stab wounds.
Lawrence pleaded not guilty in early September to second-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
Lawrence appeared Monday by video from the Deschutes County Jail, where he remains held without bail. Circuit Judge Michelle McIver conferred with attorneys and scheduled a seven-day jury trial for Nov. 4, 2025. A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for next Oct. 28.
