NORTHAMPTON — The defendant accused in the October slaying of a 31-year-old Amherst man is expected to return to court Friday where he will be arraigned on a murder charge as well as a slew of new accusations a grand jury charged him with last month.
Soknang Chham, 33, of New Salem, who was originally charged with murder and armed assault with intent to murder in Eastern Hampshire District Court, is scheduled to be arraigned in Hampshire Superior Court on charges of murder, assault and battery with a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, illegal possession of a firearm as a subsequent offender and illegal possession of a firearm with two prior convictions for violent crimes, according to the Northwestern district attorney’s office.
Authorities say Soknang Chham shot and killed Jose “Joselito” Rodriguez the night of Oct. 15 at Southpoint Apartments in Amherst. Another man, 28, also sustained injuries after being shot multiple times, but survived after he underwent surgery at UMass Medical Center in Worcester.
Soknang’s brother, Soksot Chham, 35, previously pleaded not guilty in Eastern Hampshire District Court to being an accessory after-the-fact to murder. He’s due back in court Jan. 25 and is being held at Franklin County Jail and House of Correction, with bail set at $250,000 cash. Meanwhile, Soknang remains at Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction without bail. Both men were taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service on Oct. 25, near Flagstaff, Arizona, after investigators learned they fled Massachusetts on a Phoenix-bound bus.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com.