Murder Trial Postponed For Man Accused in Drug Overdose Case

Dennis James Rivers will have to wait until at least February to find out if he'll be convicted of third-degree murder after allegedly admitting to buying the drugs that caused the death of his fiancee, Heidi Hanson, in September 2010.

Rivers' trial was scheduled to begin Monday morning, but was postponed for reasons unknown.

Attorneys in the case have a chance to negotiate a plea bargain at a settlement conference scheduled for Feb. 15. But if no deal is reached, Rivers' murder trial begins March 5. 

Originally , police arrived at an Inver Grove Heights home shared by Rivers and Hanson on Sept. 21, 2010, and found the woman laying on a mattress without a pulse. 

Medical personnel reestablished Hanson's pulse at the scene, but she died two days later at the hospital.

The Ramsey County medical examiner reportedly found in Hanson's system traces of cocaine, methadone, a muscle relaxant, an anti-depressant and an antipsychotic drug used to treat bipolar disorder.

In a voicemail left for Hanson's sister, Rivers allegedly admitted to purchasing crack cocaine for the couple's use.

Rivers' attorney Kevin Shea is arguing that joint use of the drug relieves his client from culpability in the murder charge.