WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- A court hearing for the leader of a group of people that lived off life insurance payouts of its dead members was postponed until March.

Thursday's preliminary hearing for Daniel U. Perez was rescheduled at the request of his defense attorney. The hearing will be held March 8.

Perez is accused of premeditated murder in the death of Patricia Hughes at the group's Valley Center compound. Her 2003 drowning death was originally considered an accident but was recently reclassified as a homicide.

The 52-year-old Perez is also charged with rape, sodomy, aggravated assault, making false statements on life insurance policies, making false statements to obtain auto credit and sexual exploitation of a child.

He is being held on a $2.1 million bond.