POCATELLO — A 6th District judge decided in the interest of judicial economy to grant a motion Thursday that would further delay the preliminary hearings for two California teenagers accused of murdering an elderly Pocatello woman in March.

During the first scheduled day of a two-day preliminary hearing at the Bannock County Courthouse on Thursday for accused murderer Dustin Garret Alfaro, 18, of Marysville, California, Judge Aaron N. Thompson rescheduled Alfaro’s preliminary hearing for Sept. 3 and 4 after accepting an objection withdrawal from Alfaro’s attorneys, Scott Andrew and Dave Martinez of the Bannock County Public Defender’s Office.

Alfaro and Isaac Rodriguez-Romero, 17, also of Marysville, each face one count of felony first-degree murder for allegedly fatally stabbing Arlyne Koehler, an 87-year-old woman who family members found dead in her Pocatello home on March 19.

Andrew and Martinez initially objected to a Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office motion presented in court last week that asked for the continuance of Alfaro’s hearing in the interest of limiting the costs associated with bringing several witnesses from outside the state to testify.

Thompson denied the state’s motion last week but approved it on Thursday after Alfaro’s attorneys withdrew their objection.

In addition to rescheduling Alfaro’s hearing, Thompson also moved Rodriguez-Romero’s preliminary hearing to Sept. 5 and 6 after conversing briefly with Rodriguez-Romero’s Pocatello attorneys Bradley Willis and Robert Otto Eldredge Jr., who were present in court Thursday. Rodriguez-Romero’s preliminary hearing had been set for Aug. 1 and 2.

Thompson questioned Alfaro directly to ensure he understood his rights and was aware he was entitled to a preliminary hearing within two weeks of his March 20 arrest.

Alfaro, who appeared relaxed in court, confirmed he understood, and Thompson informed Willis he would bring Rodriguez-Romero back into court on Aug. 1, what would have been the first day of his two-day preliminary hearing, to ask him the same questions to ensure he, too, is aware of his rights.

In allowing Alfaro’s and Rodriguez-Romero’s preliminary hearings to occur back-to-back, Bannock County Prosecutors are no longer tasked with covering the costs of travel, lodging and other expenses for out-of-state witnesses to testify twice at different hearings one week apart.

Preliminary hearings in Idaho are used to determine whether there is enough evidence against a defendant to take criminal charges to trial.

The preliminary hearings for both teenagers had already been continued once prior to Thompson’s ruling Thursday after the defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed they needed more time to prepare for those hearings. Thompson told both the defense team and state prosecutors that barring an emergency, he would not approve another continuance in either case for any other reason.

Alfaro and Rodriguez-Romero are each incarcerated on $1 million bonds. Alfaro is being held in the Bannock County Jail and Rodriguez-Romero is being held in the 6th District Juvenile Detention Center in Pocatello.

Authorities have not yet commented on what caused them to believe Alfaro and Rodriguez-Romero allegedly murdered Mrs. Koehler, who lived alone. Many of the documents that could shed light on what may have happened inside Mrs. Koehler’s home, such as police reports and probable cause affidavits, remain under seal by judicial order.

Both teens were arrested on March 20 in California, less than 48 hours after Pocatello police held a press conference alerting the public about Mrs. Koehler’s murder.

The teens were extradited to Idaho to face charges for allegedly murdering Koehler after authorities arrested them in California.

Alfaro faces a maximum punishment of up to life in prison or the death penalty if convicted of felony first-degree murder. Prosecutors have not yet commented on whether they will pursue the death penalty against him.

Because Rodriguez-Romero was a juvenile at the time of Koehler’s murder, U.S. Supreme Court case law says it is unconstitutional for him to face the death penalty. But if he’s convicted of felony first-degree murder, he’ll still face a maximum punishment of life in prison.