COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The man accused of killing a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets and his brother appeared before a New Jersey judge Tuesday to determine whether the case against him would move forward. Sean Higgins, of Woodstown, N.J., appeared in Salem County Superior Court Tuesday for a pre-indictment conference in connection with the deaths of Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew on Aug. 29. Ohio State, Indiana kickoff time announced The pre-indictment conference did not occur, but rather the judge approved a 30-day extension request by the prosecution in order to obtain additional discovery evidence in the case. The conference, a meeting that takes place before a case is presented to a grand jury, where the prosecutor and defendant discuss the charges and potential plea deals, typically includes evidentiary reviews by the prosecution, a possible plea offer, and thus, a resolution to the case before it heads to trial. Judge Michael Silvanio approved the extension and waived the pre-indictment conference period. The two sides can still reach an agreement between now and an indictment filing deadline of Dec. 27. Should an agreement not be reached official charges could be filed against Higgins, who is facing two counts of vehicular homicide. Sean Higgins (middle), accused in the murder of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, appears before a New Jersey judge, Nov. 12, 2024. (Courtesy/New Jersey Courts) In a September detention hearing, Higgins was remanded after a Salem County judge ruled he would remain in custody without bond. Attorneys stated Higgins’ blood alcohol level was 0.087 and that he had been drinking in the car when he reportedly killed Johnny and Matthew, who were run over while riding bicycles on County Road 551 near Salem, New Jersey. Police said Higgins tried to maneuver around an SUV, which had attempted to pass the Gaudreau bothers safely on the right side of the road, before striking and killing both. Higgins told police he did not see the cyclists. Judge Silvanio said this was an indication of his reckless and road-rage behavior, which was documented in statements made by Higgins’ wife and witnesses at the scene. Higgins, who remained at the scene, admitted he consumed approximately five or six beers before the crash. He then failed a series of standardized field sobriety tests. ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 10: The videoboard honors brothers Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau prior to the start of the season opener between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on October 10, 2024 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) Higgins, who worked at a drug and alcohol treatment center and is listed as a major with the New Jersey National Guard, faces a maximum sentence for two counts of vehicular manslaughter of 20 years in prison. Johnny and Matthew, who were in southern New Jersey for the wedding of their sister, Katie, were laid to rest on Sept. 9 in Philadelphia. The entire Blue Jackets program was in attendance and memorial tributes for the brothers have been widespread throughout central Ohio, at their alma mater in Boston College and in Calgary, where Johnny played for eight seasons before joining the CBJ.