Cobey Paul Mishler, the suspect in an Oct. 6 fatal stabbing, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 31 in Wicomico County District Court, according to court records.

Mishler, 18, of Fitzwater Street, has been held without bond in the death of Seth Abbey since his arrest the following day by Maryland State Police. He is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. 

Charging documents in the case show that Abbey suffered stab wounds to the upper body. He was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead by hospital personnel.

The cause of death was multiple stab wounds and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Charging documents show that on the night of the incident, Abbey and his girlfriend were arguing while driving along Civic Avenue when the vehicle became disabled.

The girlfriend started walking along Beaglin Park Drive when she encountered three teenage boys on bicycles who began talking to her. She told police she knew one of the boys “vaguely,” and they began chatting as they approached the entrance to the Parkwood Apartments complex, according to the charging documents.

The girlfriend and the boys entered the parking lot and at some point she gave one of the boys her phone so he could enter his Snapchat contact information. At that point, Abbey walked up and got into an argument with the boys, court records show.

One of the boys told police that Abbey came up behind Mishler, put him in a headlock and slammed him to the ground. Mishler got up and the three boys walked away.

Shortly after the boys left, the girlfriend realized one of them still had her phone and she called after him. She and Abbey walked toward them and the boy handed the phone back to her. The boy then reached out to shake Abbey’s hand.

“As he shook Abbey’s hand, he stated that Abbey did not release his hand, but held it and asked (the girlfriend) if he was a good guy. He stated that (the girlfriend) said he was at which time Abbey took his other hand and hit him three times in the head. At that time, Cobey (Mishler) came up and stabbed the victim,” police wrote in the charging documents.

The three boys then ran across Beaglin Park Drive and fled behind Parkside High School. Mishler handed his knife to the boy who had been assaulted by Abbey, and the boy threw it over a retention wall, according to court records. The boy later led police to the area where the knife had been tossed and it was recovered.

All three boys returned to a friend’s house on Schumaker Woods Road where they had been prior to the incident. Two of the boys called for Uber rides home. Mishler cut his hair with a razor and changed his clothing before leaving the residence.

Police also interviewed the third boy who gave a nearly identical account of what had happened, according to court records.

If convicted on the most serious charge of first-degree murder, Mishler could be sentenced to life in prison, according to court records.

A trial date has not been scheduled.