A status hearing on the case of Kyle M. Roider, 32, of Waterloo, was postponed until 1 p.m. July 21. 

The status hearing was supposed to take place Wednesday, July 7.

Roider faces first-degree murder and aggravated battery charges in the Jan. 9, 2019, death of 35-year-old Steven Becker in Waterloo.

His trial was to take place this past November, but Monroe County State’s Attorney Lucas Liefer said both he and Roider’s defense attorney, Thomas Matthes, said Judge Julia Gomric decided to postpone it for COVID purposes.

Roider’s trial is now set for Aug. 23.

Late last year, Gomric denied the motion of Roider’s attorney that sought to bifurcate his murder trial.

With the motion to bifurcate, the hearing on which the judge sealed from the media and the public because it involved discussions about Roider’s psychiatric evaluations, Matthes sought to essentially have multiple trials in Roider’s case.

This approach is typically taken if the defense’s arguments are in conflict with each other.

The reasons for the motion to bifurcate are unknown because Gomric has sealed most records in this case.

One public document shows the court ordered Dr. Daniel Cuneo, a clinical psychologist, to evaluate Roider to determine if he could present an insanity defense. 

The result of that evaluation is sealed. 

Cuneo also evaluated Roider on Gomric’s order last year, but that was to determine if he was fit to stand trial. The court ruled that he was. 

UPDATE: On Aug. 27, 2021, a Monroe County jury found Kyle Roider not guilty of first-degree murder and not guilty of aggravated battery with a firearm. These charges were brought against Roider in connection with Steven Becker’s January 2019 death.