A Schuylkill County judge will hear testimony as to whether or not a Kline Township man charged with shooting to death a romantic rival is entitled to have the county pay for expert witnesses at his trial.

Eric M. Mumaw’s lawyer, Andrew J. Katsock III, on Wednesday asked Judge Charles M. Miller for an indigency hearing to determine Mumaw’s financial situation. Miller agreed, setting the date for 2 p.m. Oct. 11.

Katsock said he has three experts lined up, a blood pattern analyst, a computer expert and a firearms expert.

But they won’t commit until the know they will be paid, he said.

“They’ll be paid one way or another,” Miller said.

He said the court would review the estimated costs to make sure they’re reasonable.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer N. Foose said she and Katsock were discussing stipulations to reduce the number of witnesses needed at the trial, which may be held in January or March 2019.

Miller also asked them to iron out any objections to Katsock’s planned use of Pennsylvania’s Castle Doctrine, which allows people to defend themselves by use of deadly force in their homes.

Miller wants the trial to move as efficiently as possible.

Mumaw is charged with shooting 27-year-old David G. Gombert of Beaver Meadows at Mumaw’s house on the morning of Nov. 1, 2016.

According to testimony at a Feb. 3 preliminary hearing, hostile Facebook posts fanned the flames of the romantic rivalry that led to Gombert’s death in the garage under Mumaw’s house.

In addition to the homicide charges, Mumaw also faces charges of voluntary manslaughter, prohibited offensive weapons, possessing an instrument of crime, simple and aggravated assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

He is being held without bail in Schuylkill County prison.