Alleged Wesleyan killer pleads not guilty

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(JTA) — The man who allegedly killed a Jewish Wesleyan University student and was also targeting other Jews pleaded not guilty to the murder.

The state’s attorney in Connecticut also filed additional charges against Stephen Morgan in Superior Court Tuesday, including first-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Morgan, 29, allegedly gunned down Johanna Justin-Jinich in May in a bookstore where she worked in Middletown, Conn. They knew each other from a New York University summer course they took in 2007.

Police reportedly found a laptop and diaries in Morgan’s vehicle detailing his obsession with Justin-Jinich and with Jews. Jewish services in the area of the university shut down while Morgan was on the loose.

Morgan’s attorney said he was considering several defenses, including an insanity plea.  If found guilty, Morgan could be sentenced to life in prison.

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