A Butler County judge has denied a defense request to prevent prosecutors from showing a potential jury a handgun and other evidence from the home of accused double murderer Colin Abbott.

Judge William Shaffer’s decision was one of several signals today that a trial for the 42-year-old Colin Abbott of Randolph, N.J., is still on track for next month.

Abbott stands accused of shooting and dismembering Kenneth and Celeste Abbott, then burning and scattering their remains about their opulent Brady Township estate in the summer of 2011.

Abbott, charged with two counts of murder, could face the death penalty if convicted. His trial is scheduled to start March 18, and it is anticipated to last about a week.

Potential jurors are being summoned to the courthouse beginning March 4, and, court records show, more than two dozen witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify.