A man charged with murder in the June shooting death of a Watertown teenager has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, and will use an insanity defense when he goes to trial early next year.
Thirty one year-old Javier Velazquez-Sanchez appeared in court today via closed circuit television.
Defense attorney Scott Bratland said his client is pleading not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to all three charges against him.
Velazquez-Sanchez is alleged to have fired one shot from a handgun at 17 year-old Jayden Harley on the evening of June 10th, following a verbal argument. Harley died from his injuries.
A Codington County Grand Jury indicted Velazquez-Sanchez on one count of Second Degree Murder, one count of First Degree Manslaughter and one count of Second Degree Manslaughter.
Judge Carmen Means set the defendants trial for January 4-12, 2018. Attorneys must file motions in the case by October 27th.
Velazquez-Sanchez served eight years in the U.S. Army, including two tours of duty in Iraq. He was a full time student at Lake Area Technical Institute at the time of his arrest.
He has no prior felony record, but was charged in a 2015 stabbing in Hamlin County in which he eventually pled guilty to misdemeanor simple assault.
Many of Harley’s friends and family members were in the courtroom for today’s arraignment wearing red and blue t-shirts that read, “Justice for Jayden.”
(KWAT)