Sex Offender To Stand Trial In Woman's Slaying

A convicted sex offender accused of raping and killing a 21-year-old Santee woman could face the death penalty, officials announced Thursday.

Forty-year-old Robert Carson is accused of murdering Brittany Hart, and hiding her remains in the Cleveland National Forest last summer, officials said.Prosecutors added special-circumstance allegations to the case Wednesday, opening the door for a possible death sentence, officials said.

According to authorities, Carson was arrested June 5, based upon evidence found in his Spring Valley home, which included bloodstains officials said belonged to Hart.

He has five previous felony convictions, including one in 1987 for assault with intent to commit rape against three separate victims.He is set to return to court in two weeks, and faces life in prison if convicted.His trial begins in May, officials said.