The man accused of strangling his ex-wife to death and lighting her car on fire will face a jury this summer.
On Monday, Yasir Darraji pleaded not guilty and a judge set his trial for August.
Darraji has been charged with murder in Ibithal Darraji’s death.
In early February, police and firefighters responded to a car fire near Thornton Murphy Park. Once the fire was put out, they found Ibithal’s body inside the car, covered in fire accelerent.
Court records showed Ibithal had expressed concern to her employer about her safety. A friend told police that Ibithal and Yasir had divorced, but Yasir had grown angry by some of her actions since their separation.
Since their divorce, Yasir had started a new relationship. According to court records, that woman told police Yasir had assaulted her several times before.