Brendan Creato was found dead in October 2015.
UPDATE: Lawyer for N.J. dad charged in tot's death 'gearing up' for trial
CAMDEN< -- The Haddon Township man charged with the death of his toddler son is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning.
David "D.J." Creato Jr., 22, entered a not guilty plea early last month. Brendan Creato, who was 3 at the time of his death, was found on Oct. 13, 2015 about a half-mile from his dad's apartment and partially submerged in the Cooper River.
Creato's lawyer, Philadelphia-based attorney Richard J. Fuschino Jr., said in February that Monday's scheduled hearing would likely address defense and prosecution status updates ahead of a possible trial.
Creato was arraigned in January and held on $750,000 bail. He's facing charges of first-degree murder and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Creato killed his son to continue a relationship with a 17-year-old girl who apparently exhibited a disdain for children and the fact Creato continued to have contact with Brendan's biological mother.
An autopsy and toxicology tests initially failed to find an exact cause of death, but a Camden County prosecutor argued in court that Brendan died as a result of "homicidal violence."
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.