Judge rejects bid to toss evidence in 2014 ax killing

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge rejected a bid to throw out evidence against a man charged in the 2014 killing of an Arizona man who was bound, gagged and struck with an ax. Attorneys for Christopher Paul Mason asked the court to toss evidence collected at a friend’s apartment where authorities say Joshua Calkins was killed. Defense lawyers argued Mason had a reasonable expectation of privacy as an overnight guest at the apartment and that police made illegal searches there because they didn’t have search warrants. A  judge rejected the argument, saying Mason was more like a squatter than an invited overnight guest when a notice of abandonment was posted on the apartment.