Fatal Lake Tahoe shooting: Men enter not guilty pleas
ajensen@tahoedailytribune.com
Courtesy / South Lake Tahoe Police Department |
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Two men suspected in the January shooting death of a 40-year-old man outside of the Beverly Lodge have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the case.
During a Monday, March 21, arraignment in El Dorado County Superior Court in South Lake Tahoe, Tristan Batten, 18, and Harvest Davidson, 20, entered not guilty pleas in the Jan. 30 death of Dennis Wright, Jr.
Wright, who traveled to South Lake Tahoe to sell 100 pounds of marijuana, was shot multiple times during an attempted robbery, according to South Lake Tahoe police. Wright died after being taken to Barton Memorial Hospital.
Citing the number of out-of-area witnesses in the case, El Dorado County Deputy District Attorney Tricia Kelliher asked El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Kingsbury to move the proceedings to Placerville.
Kingsbury denied the request, but said she would be open to talking about a transfer in the future. Kingsbury ordered Batten and Davidson moved to El Dorado County’s Placerville jail to have easier access to their attorneys.
The men will be returned to the South Lake Tahoe jail prior to their next court hearing.
Both men waived their right to have a preliminary hearing, where a judge determines whether or not there is enough probable cause to continue the case, within 10 days.
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