The teenager charged with gunning down a Bermudian woman's daughter living in Denver will be tried on March 10.

Jennifer Tombs, 16, was charged with first degree murder after shooting Latanya Lavallais, 23, who was looking after her while her mother was out of town.

Yesterday a preliminary hearing was held in Denver District Court 13.

Deputy District Attorneys Henry Cooper and Mike Pellow faced off against Tombs' attorney Kurt Metsger.

A trial date was set for March 10 with a motions hearing on January 23.

Deputy District Attorney Jason Dotson filed the charges against Tombs in October through Denver District Court.

Tombs, although technically a minor, is to be tried as an adult and is presently being held in the Denver City Jail.

The charge carries a mandatory term of life in prison without parole although Colorado also has the death penalty. It is not known whether the District Attorney will seek a death sentence.

Ms Lavallais, the daughter of Valeria Vermont, nee Cox, died instantly after being shot five times at the Tombs' home in the Montbello area of the city on September 27.

She had gone to the house to babysit the girl who was electronically tagged and under house arrest in connection with other charges.

A few weeks later Ms Lavallais would have returned to Bermuda, where she had already spent some months working in Hamilton.

Her body was found at the Tombs' house the next morning after her step-father Errol Vermont, a preacher, became worried when she had not returned home.

BERMUDIAN BDA