Hearing set for man charged with killing South Salt Lake girl

A four-day preliminary hearing has been scheduled for a man charged in the kidnapping and killing of 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo.

Esar Met, 21, appeared briefly in 3rd District Court on Monday with his attorney to set a preliminary hearing date for Dec. 9. At that time, the government is expected to outline its case against Met.

Met is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping, both first-degree felonies.

Police say Moo walked way from her South Salt Lake apartment on March 31. The next day, police searched Met's basement apartment and found bloodstains on the carpet and a trail of blood that lead to a body in the bathroom.

Investigators say they believe Moo was raped, strangled and beaten to death the afternoon she disappeared.

Met is an immigrant from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, as is Moo's family.

The girl's death sparked an outpouring of sympathy from the Salt Lake area community.