26-year-old John Carlos Johnson is charged with brutally beating the mother of his child inside her Detroit home in November. On Thursday, Johnson is expected in court for a preliminary exam to determine whether there is enough evidence against him to send the case to trial.
Read: Police: Woman apparently beaten to death in home
O'Dell was discovered by a cousin who went to check on her after O'Dell failed to pick up her 2-year-old son.
Investigators have said Johnson became upset after he discovered O'Dell was dating someone else and proceeded to beat her to death.