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.