April date set for Alexander Fazzino murder trial

An April trial has been scheduled for former Boone man Alexander Fazzino, who faces a first-degree murder charge from the Jan. 2012 death of his wife, Emily Fazzino.

The trial is scheduled to start on April 15 at the Winneshiek County Courthouse in Decorah, according to online court records. The trial has previously been delayed three times.

Authorities charged Fazzino in April 2013, claiming he killed his wife because she planned to divorce him. Fazzino's defense attorneys have argued in pretrial motions that Emily Fazzino drowned in a bathtub after having a seizure brought on by alcohol withdrawal.

The trial was moved to northeast Iowa because of the prominence of Emily Fazzino's family in the Boone community. Her father, Richard Beckwith, is the grandson of the founder of the Fareway Stores grocery chain and has served as the company's CEO.

Alexander Fazzino has been free on bond ahead of his trial.