Wayland Murder Suspect Faces Arraignment Tomorrow, Aug. 23

Nathaniel Fujita will face arraignment tomorrow at 11 a.m. on charges that he murdered his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astley, in early July.

The arraignment will take place at in Courtroom 630.

On Aug. 4, a Middlesex County Grand Jury indicted Fujita on charges of murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery. The indictment came a month to the day after a passing bicyclist spotted what was later identified as Astley’s body in a marshy area off Wayland’s Water Row.

Prosecutors allege that Fujita met Astley, 18, at his house after she got off work at the , now called the Natick Mall, the evening of July 3. He allegedly killed Astley and dumped her body in the marsh. The cause of death was an incised wound to the neck and strangulation by ligature.

Investigators searching Fujita’s house on a warrant found bungee cords as well as blood on the floor of the garage.

, Fujita’s defense could request a bail hearing as part of tomorrow’s arraignment, but that is likely to be just one of several hearings, including an evidentiary hearing at a later date, between this arraignment and the case coming to trial.

Also at the Aug. 23 arraignment, the prosecution will present its statement of case outlining the case it intends to argue against Fujita.

Fujita has been held without bail since his arrest on July 5.