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BRAINERD — The addition of a new public defender brought a motion in the case against Cameron Jay Moser, the 30-year-old man facing first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of Bethany Anne Bernatsky last year at a resort north of Merrifield.
Moser appeared Thursday, Oct. 6, before Judge Erik Askegaard via Zoom from the Crow Wing County Jail. Moser, along with his public defender Steve Bergeson, asked for more time to go over grand jury testimony and evidence before moving forward with a motion to dismiss the charges in the case.
Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan did not object to the request, which was granted by Askegaard.
In July, Askegaard required Moser to fill out a new request for a public defender form as a home Moser was said to own was being sold. At the time, public defender Carly Vosacek said the sale could change his eligibility to retain a public defender. Court documents filed Aug. 9 stated Moser does not own any real estate and is eligible for representation by a public defender.
Moser faces felony murder charges stemming from an October 2021 incident at Cozy Bay Resort, north of Merrifield. Moser is accused of shooting 46-year-old Bernatsky, a standout horse trainer and lakes area native who’d recently returned home to stay at the resort as she recovered from cancer treatments. Bernatsky died as a result of gunshot injuries and the manner of death was determined to be homicide by a medical examiner.
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Moser, who was originally charged with felony second-degree murder, was later indicted by a grand jury on one charge of premeditated murder in the first degree, one charge of felony murder in the first degree and one charge of intentional murder in the second degree.
The first-degree charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and the second-degree murder charge carries a maximum of 40 years.
Moser remains in custody in the Crow Wing County Jail. His next court date is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Dec. 14.
TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .
