James Robert Landi trial begins for 2003 National Forest murder

Prosecution testimony is scheduled to begin Monday in the trial of James Robert Landi, a 44-year-old man accused of the 2003 murder of 18-year-old Reynaldo Nino Burts in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Landi was arrested last December following an investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Cold Case Unit. He faces charges of first-degree murder, lying in wait, and sentence-enhancing allegations involving a firearm and great bodily injury.

Prosecutors allege that Landi, then 21, plotted to kill Burts after their friendship soured over unpaid debts and alleged theft from Landi’s father. According to court documents, Landi invited Burts on a hike near Highway 74, bringing a .22-caliber pistol under the guise of target shooting. Prosecutors claim Landi used the excursion to carry out the killing.