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By the Salina Journal

A New Cambria man faces a federal charge of unlawful possession of a firearm for allegedly possessing the 9 mm handgun from which a shot was fired that killed his girlfriend in 2011.

A sealed indictment was filed against Steven Edward Charles Couch Jr., 41, on Jan. 18 in U.S. District Court in Topeka. The indictment was unsealed Jan. 30, said Jim Cross, public affairs officer for U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom of the District of Kansas.

The matter has been set for a jury trial April 10 in Topeka. Couch was released pending trial.

Cross said Couch has a prior felony conviction for possession of methamphetamine and under federal law is prohibited from having a gun.

The maximum penalty established for unlawful possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison, Cross said.

One count of criminal threat and one count of possession of marijuana being pursued against Couch in Saline County District Court were dropped in January.

Jeff Wagaman, spokesman for the Kansas Attorney General's Office, which was prosecuting the case, said at the time the charges were dismissed in order for federal prosecution to proceed.

The Saline County Attorney's Office had originally filed first-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm charges against Couch in connection with the Feb. 17, 2011, fatal shooting of Couch's girlfriend, Carol Sue Williams, 39.

However, shortly after an attorney with the Kansas Attorney General's Office took over prosecution of the case, those charges were dismissed, and the criminal threat and possession of marijuana charges were filed. Wagaman said, at that time, that the AG's office reviewed the case and determined that the evidence did not support the original charges.

According to testimony at a preliminary hearing in November, Couch told authorities Williams' fatal wound was self-inflicted.

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