Two men who have been charged with the murder of Joseph Pearce in Burnham-On-Sea appeared at Taunton Magistrates Court on Saturday (July 15th).
Joseph Pearce, 40, pictured, died at a property in Churchill Close, Burnham just before midnight on Monday July 10th.
Dominic Lacey, 21, of Newham Place in Patchway and James Hobbs, 43, of Churchill Close in Burnham-On-Sea spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses during the brief court hearing held in Taunton.
The Magistrate, Mark Smith, ordered the case be moved to Exeter Crown Court. The two men are scheduled to appear on Tuesday July 18th with the plan to having a plea and trial preparation hearing on August 17th.
Mr Pearce, 40, died at a property in Churchill Close shortly before midnight on Monday (July 10th).
Meanwhile, Police have confirmed that a 22-year-old man and three women aged 24, 38 and 54 arrested in connection with the investigation have all been released without charge.
“We’d like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while we carried out enquiries at Churchill Close,” added the Police spokesman.
A murder probe was launched after the death in Churchill Close, just off Worston Lane, at 11.56pm on Monday (July 10th). Joseph Pearce, 40, died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination carried out by a Home Office pathologist and concluded that he died from a single stab wound.
Officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) are leading the enquiry into his death.
Detective Chief Inspector James Riccio, from MCIT, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We continue to offer support to Joseph’s family during what is clearly a difficult time for them.”
“We are leaving no stone unturned in our quest to established the full circumstances behind this horrific crime and are keeping the family updated with the progress of our enquiry.”
“We’d also like to continue to encourage anyone with any concerns relating to this incident to contact their neighbourhood team.”
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in Churchill Close during Monday evening is also asked to contact MCIT via 101 quoting the reference number 5217157097.
