A man accused of killing a Duke graduate student will not face the death penalty but he has a high bond.

Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour set bond for Stephen Oates at $10 million Monday afternoon.

Oates, who is now 20, is charged with murder and armed robbery in the shooting death of Abhijit Mahato. The 29 year-old student was studying computational mechanics at Duke before his death on January 18, 2008. He was at home in his apartment.

"The Medical Examiner made a finding that [a] pillow was pressed firmly to his forehead, the weapon was held against that and one shot traveled through his brain," said Tracey Cline, the District Attorney for Durham County.

Laurence Lovette is also facing charges in the case. During a bond hearing today, prosecutors tried to use a timeline of that evening to connect Oates to other robberies that night.

"Laurence Lovett, who was later apprehended, did have some of the stolen items with him," Cline said in court. "But ... within hours of the murder ... he came to a friend of his house and indicated to that person - very hyper - he killed him. He killed him."

But Defense Attorney Mark Edwards told the judge that he'll try to disprove the state's theory that Oates robbed other victims and therefore, the timeline isn't accurate.

"My investigator has gone out, spoken with both of those individuals with pictures of Mr. Oates and both of them are pretty vehement he is not the person who shot them at that time," said Edwards. "So, if that is part of the theory, I think there are some pretty substantial problems that the state has."

Cline said Mahato's wallet and cell phone were missing. Investigators checked the bank records and saw that just after 2:00 that morning, $200 cash was removed from his account at an ATM. Within a couple hours, there was another shooting and robbery.

"People involved in the case said three young black men walked up to them, demanded money. The person said I don't have any money, took off running and was shot in the leg and positively identified this defendant as the one who shot him," Cline said at Oates' hearing. "The victim who was shot ... he was afraid. His friends had told him not to say anything. So it doesn't bother me or concern the state that now the defendant's private investigator goes and talks to him - he's not going to tell his lawyer that this is the one that shot me."

Several of Mahato's friends and members of the Durham community came into the crowded Superior Courtroom Monday that was already packed with people involved in other cases.

"I feel really apologetic that this young man - a Duke student - would come to Durham and have this happen to him," said Julie Simmons, who lives in southwest Durham and is a member of Partners Against Crime Area 3. "Our whole neighborhood is concerned. I thought we'd have more people here."

Simmons said she believes the $10 million bond is fair.

"I wouldn't be able to come up with $10 million," she said. "When you take it upon yourself just to shoot and kill somebody - I think you have to face the consequences - whatever they are."