A pair of Burbank men have been charged with the murder of a 25-year-old man whose body was found by the Montrose Search and Rescue team near a "shallow grave" in the Angeles National Forest in January, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Erik Thomas Pearson, 21, and Donald Thurman, 26, both of Burbank, were arraigned Wednesday at the Pasadena courthouse. Both have been charged with one count each of capital murder, with special circumstances of robbery and lying in wait. They are suspected of beating 25-year-old Nicholas Carter to death near Big Tujunga Canyon Road and later stealing his identity, according to authorities.
Carter, who was reported missing on Jan. 7, was found Jan. 19 after a hiker discovered a trail of blood. Carter's body was discovered several hundred yards from the trail, authorities said.
Both men are being held without bail.
