NORWICH – A Town of New Berlin man accused of shooting and killing six of his neighbor’s horses at a property adjacent to Hunts Pond Road made his third appearance in court Monday as the controversial case moves one step closer to trial.

Lauren L. McMaster, 75, New Berlin, has been charged with six counts of second degree criminal mischief, a class D felony, and one count of tampering with physical evidence, a class E felony, indicted by a Chenango County grand jury in May. He could face up to 35 years in state prison if convicted on all seven felony counts, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

McMaster was first charged on April 29 following an investigation by the New York State Police, and authorities said they believed McMaster shot the animals on two separate occasions using a 12-gauge shotgun. At his second appearance in county court, in August, McMaster was ordered to undergo a mental health examination, the results of which District Attorney Joseph McBride could not discuss. Motions in the case are due within 45 days, however, and it’s possible a jury trial may follow.