The Colorado Springs man arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in the parking lot of a Pop Warner Youth Football game in October will take his case to trial early next year. 

Antivius Crowder, 32, faces charges related to the death of 29-year-old Donte Rice, who was allegedly shot and killed on Oct. 5 after a verbal argument between the pair escalated. At the time, police said the homicide was not connected to the football game, which was taking place at Atlas Prep, in the 1600 block of South Murray Boulevard.

Crowder pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder Wednesday, and is now expected to face an El Paso County jury in January. 

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Crowder’s defense counsel and the prosecution disagree over the anticipated length of trial. Defense attorney Jamie Jones told the court she believes trial could take three or four weeks to reach closings due to the large volume of witnesses.

Jones said if even half of the witnesses to the shooting are called to the stand, the court could hear over 100 testimonies. Jones said she plans to call at least 10 witnesses as of Wednesday, a first for Judge William Bain, who said he has never seen more than six defense witnesses. 

Prosecutor Claire Nutter maintained her position that the trial will not last more than two weeks. Bain agreed with the prosecution and set trial dates accordingly, but acknowledged that things could change in terms of the timeline.

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The defense expressed some concern over media coverage of the case during Wednesday’s hearing, but Bain dismissed the worry, saying coverage has not been more extensive than a typical homicide case. 

“I don’t see this as a high-profile case,” Bain said. 

The courtroom was full on both sides. Sitting behind the prosecution table, family and friends of Rice expressed frustration over Crowder taking the case to trial, often whispering to each other. 

Behind the defense sat a row of family and friends for Crowder. He seemed emotionless as he sat expressionless with his hands cuffed behind his back. 

According to prior Gazette coverage, Crowder and Rice were co-defendants in a pair of commercial burglary cases in 2014 and 2015. Crowder’s affidavit states the pair used to be close associates but had a falling out “possibly due to Mr. Crowder ‘snitching’ on someone else.”

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Crowder’s criminal history has landed him in the Department of Corrections before. Court records show he pleaded guilty to burglary and theft in 2015 and received six years in prison. In 2017, he received a two-year sentence related to money laundering and burglary charges from 2015.

In addition, his affidavit states that he allegedly has ties to several local gangs, including the Crips.

Crowder will appear next in a 4th Judicial District courtroom on Oct. 14 for a hearing to address motions to suppress by the defense. His two-week jury trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 5. 

As of Wednesday, Crowder remains in El Paso County jail on a $1 million bond.