The man who befriended longtime nurse Lora Barnes and is charged with killing her before setting her home on fire will face a three-day murder trial in August.

Henrico Circuit Judge L.A. Harris Jr. set the trial dates yesterday for Jerome Gregory Wright, 45, a felon and occasional housemate of Barnes, 44.

Barnes was a nurse for about 17 years at Beth Shalom Home and Lakeside Manor, where co-workers regarded her as a tireless worker and friend.

Henrico firefighters discovered the burned remains of Barnes' body March 20 in the bedroom of her tiny home in the 4500 block of McGill Street off Williamsburg Road in Henrico.

An autopsy showed she had not died in the fire.

Wright was arrested several days later and charged with unauthorized use of Barnes' credit card. Authorities say they obtained a picture of him withdrawing the money from an ATM. They also eventually charged him with murder. He was indicted by a grand jury last week.

According to search warrants, Wright told investigators there had been an argument during which he strangled Barnes and then set her home on fire.

Wright is being held without bond.

-- Bill McKelway