Zoey Zane Murder Update: Her Accused Killer, Israel Mireles, in Court for Hearing

Israel Mireles, the man accused of killing an 18-year-old Kansas college student in 2007, will have his first preliminary hearing today; he is being charged with capital murder, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy in the death of Emily Sander. The case has drawn a great deal of attention because it was revealed that Emily Sander lead a double life as an Internet porn model who went by the name Zoey Zane. Mireles was arrested in Mexico in 2007 and extradited to the United States in June. If the judge determines that there is enough evidence to take the case to trial, Mireles will then be required to enter a plea and a trial date will be set.

According to The Associated Press, when the story of the murder of Zoey Zane first hit the headlines, investigators thought that her involvement in nude Internet modeling might have had something to do with her death. At the time, El Dorado Police Chief Thom Boren consulted with FBI experts on Internet crime to help him look into that possibility.

Up until that time, Emily Sander had been leading something of a double life as her X-rated Internet alter ego, Zoey Zane. According to The Associated Press, though, she had told her parents that she signed a contract with a website featuring nude models around the time of her disappearance. Her parents' response to discovering that their 18-year-old daughter was posing nude using the name Zoey Zane has not been made public; according to The Associated Press, however, her boyfriend broke up with her when he learned the news.

Emily Sander (also know as Zoey Zane) went missing on November 23, 2007; she was last seen leaving an El Dorado bar with Israel Mireles. They had reportedly met that night. According to The Associated Press, witnesses saw the two kissing in the bar and Emily Sander was smiling as she left the bar with Mireles.

Tragically, Emily Sander's body was found six days later about 50 miles from the bar where she was last seen with Mireles.