Valley Springs Child Pleads Not Guilty in Sister's Death

Boy, 12, pleads not guilty in murder of sister, 8

An attorney for a Central California 12-year-old boy charged with fatally stabbing his little sister says his client has pleaded not guilty.

Attorney Mark Reichel says the juvenile accused of killing 8-year-old Leila Fowler entered his plea during a closed court proceeding in Calaveras County on Wednesday.

Reichel said the boy spoke only once, answering "yes'' when a judge asked him if he agreed to waive his right to a speedy trial.

The boy originally told investigators that he found his sister's body and encountered an intruder inside their Valley Springs home while their parents were at a Little League game on April 27.

The killing set off an intense manhunt as investigator swept through the Sierra Nevada.

The boy is due back in court on July 31.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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