A federal judge has set pretrial deadlines in the murder case against the man accused of killing Prairie Village native Sarah Milgrim outside a Washington, D.C., museum in May 2025.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, is charged with federal hate crime and first-degree murder offenses in the May 21, 2025, shooting deaths of Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, outside the Capital Jewish Museum. A firm trial date could be set as soon as a Nov. 20 court hearing, KCTV5 reported.

Rodriguez pleaded not guilty on March 3, 2026.

He appeared in federal court wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, glasses and shackles. His defense attorneys raised concerns about his conditions in detention.

The two sides clashed over the pace of the case. Defense lawyers argued that setting a trial date is premature. Prosecutors said the court should plan as if capital punishment is on the table. The Justice Department announced in May that it would seek the death penalty.

The gap on timing is wide. Defense attorneys estimated a trial could last six months. Prosecutors said they need about two weeks to prove Rodriguez is guilty, according to KCTV5.

Defense attorneys also said they need more time to review a large volume of digital records. Prosecutors plan to turn over another 1,500 documents and additional security camera video by the end of October, with all remaining evidence due by mid-November.

After the Nov. 20 hearing, both sides have until early February 2027 to file written legal challenges. The judge scheduled oral arguments for March 10, 2027, and paused the speedy-trial clock to give both legal teams time to prepare.

According to the Justice Department, Rodriguez allegedly flew from Chicago to Washington on May 20, 2025, with a 9mm handgun packed in his checked luggage. He allegedly purchased a ticket to a reception at the Capital Jewish Museum the following evening and fired approximately 20 shots at the victims after they walked out. Investigators recovered 20 spent shell casings at the scene.

The indictment alleges Rodriguez called out "Free Palestine" during the shooting and told people inside the museum, "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza." He also allegedly authored a manifesto titled "Explication" on May 20, 2025, arguing for the "morality of armed demonstration."

Multiple charges carry a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.

Milgrim, 26, grew up in Prairie Village and graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in 2017. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 2021 and later completed a dual master's degree in international affairs and natural resources and sustainable development from American University in Washington. At the time of her death, she worked for the Israeli Embassy. Lischinsky was also an Israeli Embassy employee.

Milgrim's father, Robert Milgrim, told Fox4 in May that the family has sponsored scholarships at American University, the University of Kansas and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau in Sarah's memory. A cherry tree now stands as a memorial at Porter Park in Prairie Village.

"It's a great loss to our family and it's a great loss to the world," Robert Milgrim told Fox4 in May.

Both sides return to court Nov. 20, when the judge could set a firm trial date.