ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Christian Soto, the 22-year-old accused of murdering four people and injuring seven others, appears in a Winnebago County courtroom Wednesday over Zoom.
Attorneys discussed blood and urine tests that look for any substances in Soto’s body at the time of the rampage. According to court documents, Soto claimed he was given laced marijuana, which made him paranoid and caused the attacks.
The state submitted Soto’s blood to a lab in St. Louis for testing about a week ago. Initial urine tests came back negative for any substances. There is no timeline for how long it will take for the blood test results to come back. The defense declined to have an expert present at the testing.
Soto is the sole suspect in the March 27 deaths of Romona and Jacob Schupbach, mail carrier Jay Larson and East High School student Jenna Newcomb.
Soto is expected back in court on Sept. 13.