A Barrow County judge denied bond Thursday for one of two men accused of murdering a Florida reporter earlier this month.

William Cormier III was remanded to state custody after hearing arguments from attorneys on whether the accused killer has sufficient ties to the community that he would not pose a flight risk.

The hearing was initially planned for William Cormier and his twin brother, Christopher, both of whom are facing charges of murder and concealing a body after Winder police found the remains of Florida reporter Sean Dugas buried in a shallow, concrete-filled grave in the Cormiers’ father’s yard.

However, Christopher Cormier’s hearing was postponed while he retained a separate public defender from his brother. Both men could not be represented by James Rogers.

Rogers argued the state’s murder case is weak.

“The state wants you to take a concealment of death and turn that into a murder charge,” he said.

Authorities are still working to determine when, where and how Dugas was killed, he said, and argued that the case could end up going back to Florida, if it is determined the actual crime took place there.

Rogers noted that the investigation “can take a while,” and that he didn’t “think it fair to hold without bond.”

A bond hearing for Christopher Cormier will be scheduled later.