Photo: Miami Dade Corrections: Robert Koehler Booking Photo
(Miami, FL) - A second rape trial is set to begin Monday for a Miami man dubbed the "Pillowcase Rapist."
Miami-Dade Judge David Young ruled Thursday that 65-year-old Robert Koehler is mentally competent to stand trial on a rape case from 1984.
Judge Young ruled Friday that the defense cannot put the client's mental state in front of the jury, and that prosecutor Laura Adams will be allowed to instruct the jury about the high-profile nature of the case.
Adams stated that she will explain, "Some cases attract media attention, and this is one of those cases."
Judge Young also ruled that no other references can be made about Koehler's prior rape conviction or that he is an accused serial rapist. Also, no references can be made regarding the "Pillowcase Rapist" moniker.
However, the state will be allowed to use defendant's prior testimony from the first trial but can only refer to it as evidence.
Prosecutor Laura Adams also says she's prepared to explain to the jury how the state matched Koehler's DNA in this new case.
"Koehler's son was swabbed in 2019 as the result of a felony arrest and FDLE made a Y-chromosome male familial match."
But the jury will not hear about any other rape cases in which a match to Koehler's DNA was made.
Koehler's rape trial begins at 9:00 a.m. Monday October 27th.