A Huntsville man accused of killing 80-year-old Charles Newman on Halloween night two years ago is set to go to trial Dec. 10.

Andrew Reid Lackey, 23, is facing a capital murder charge. A conviction in Limestone County Circuit Criminal Court could mean death by lethal injection.

“He is not claiming anything mentally wrong with him so I think it is a pretty good chance he will stand trial on the Dec. 10 date,” Limestone County District Attorney Kristi Valls said Tuesday.

Lackey, indicted on four charges, including murder during a burglary, murder during a robbery, burglary and robbery, entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment last year before Limestone County Circuit Judge Robert Baker.

Athens Police detectives say that Lackey, of 3025 Sunlake Blvd., Huntsville, who gave his job as being a reseller on the popular shopping Web site, e-Bay, traveled alone to Athens on Oct. 31, 2005, in a rental car for the purpose of robbing Newman. A subsequent investigation revealed that Lackey was acquainted with Newman’s son and grandson, who said they had discussed in front of Lackey that the elder Newman was “well off” financially.

Newman, a retired Athens house builder, was found dead inside his 611 North Hine Street home minutes after he made a 911 call to police.

Capt. Marty Bruce said there were obvious sounds of a struggle in the background. When officers arrived at Newman’s house five minutes later, they found the back door to the home open at Newman’s home. They went inside and found the victim’s body in his blood-spattered den, where they also found evidence of a violent struggle with pieces of overturned furniture.

Investigators said preliminary autopsy findings show that Newman was shot once in the chest and stabbed multiple times.