Baltimore prosecutors said today they will seek two sentences of life without parole for a man charged with beating his elderly grandparents to death in August in Guilford.
The announcement was made at a hearing in which Michael Edward Reiriz was arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Drs. Walter and Mary Loch.
Mr. Reiriz, with dark hair hanging well below the shoulders of his short-sleeved shirt, pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. Baltimore Circuit Judge Mabel E. Hubbard then set his trial for Feb. 1 before Judge Clifton J. Gordy. Mr. Reiriz, being held without bail, is also charged with armed robbery, felony theft and weapons violations.
His lawyer, Michael E. Kaminkow, said Mr. Reiriz is receiving a psychological evaluation.
"Upon its completion, we will have a better idea whether an insanity plea will be filed," Mr. Kaminkow told the court.
Mr. Reiriz spoke briefly at the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes, after Judge Hubbard asked him for his home address. In a soft voice, he gave the address of his mother, Helen Reiriz, in Hampstead.
A source close to the police investigation has said Mr. Reiriz said a dispute over money led him to use a baseball bat to bludgeon his grandparents to death.
Walter Loch, 88, and his 81-year-old wife were both retired doctors. Their bodies were found Aug. 14 in their home in the 200 block of Stratford Road in Guilford. They were killed in their beds, police have said.
Investigators believe that Mr. Reiriz, whose family nickname is "Ted," was upset because his grandparents stopped lending him money. The grandson borrowed at least $1,000 and reneged on a promise to spend it on college, a police source has said.