NORWICH – The felony hearing scheduled to take place in Norwich City Court Monday morning was postponed. Daniel L. Brown Sr., 45, of Norwich has been charged with second-degree murder in the murder last Monday of his landlord, Tammy L. Periard, 45, of Norwich.

Assistant Public Defender John Cameron requested that an adjournment be granted until Thursday at 11 a.m. so he could contact the Capital Defender’s Office.

“There is a reasonable possibility that through the facts of this case, murder one still could be considered as a legal option and our interpretation of the statute indicated that the Capital Defender’s Office ought to be contacted,” said District Attorney Joseph McBride.

In September of 1995, New York State expanded the crime of first degree murder by creating two separate possible penalties for persons convicted of the crime, to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. The main factor in constituting a murder one charge is premeditation, as opposed to murder in the second, which is often compulsory.