charles severance , 54 , has been charged with the murders of nancy dunning , ron kirby and ruthanne lodato , in alexandria , virginia , was in court for a hearing on thursday .
all three victims were gunned down at their homes in daylight attacks : dunning in 2003 , kirby in 2013 and lodato last year .
at court on thursday , prosecutor bryan porter argued severance , who was once a fringe candidate for political office , should face just one trial as his writings linked the three murders .