A 23-year-old man charged with killing a visitor at a Farmington Hills nature park will face a preliminary exam on Wednesday, September 9, in 47th District Court.

Gabriel Antonio Bercea is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Richard Alan Harris, 65, whose body was found Sunday, May 3, in Woodland Hills nature park on Farmington Road, just south of I-696. The 74-acre park, managed by the City of Farmington Hills, sits across from Oakland Community College's Orchard Ridge Campus and features 1.7 miles of trails through forest and wetlands, according to city park records. It is open year-round.

At Bercea's arraignment in June, Oakland County assistant prosecutor Meaghan Harris called the killing a "particularly vicious" attack, saying Harris was bludgeoned and strangled midday in a public place.

The two did not know each other, prosecutors confirmed at the arraignment, according to The Oakland Press.

Police arrested Bercea on Monday, June 8, five weeks after the homicide, at his workplace in Wixom. Police said he worked as a machinist and has no prior criminal history. He is held in the Oakland County Jail without bond.

At the September 9 hearing, 47th District Judge James Brady will review evidence and determine whether probable cause exists to send the case to Oakland County Circuit Court for trial.

The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office is handling the case. No motive has been publicly disclosed.

Woodland Hills nature park is open daily from sunrise to sunset at 26655 Farmington Road. The park does not allow dogs or bicycles.

Residents with information related to the case can contact the Farmington Hills Police Department at 248-871-2610.