The man accused of abducting University of Virginia student Hannah Graham pleaded not guilty Friday to all charges in a separate 2005 sexual assault case in Fairfax, Virginia. His trial was set for March 9.
Jesse Matthew, 32, of Charlottesville, Virginia, made his first in-person appearance in the Northern Virginia case at a brief hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Matthew, who was wearing a green jail jumpsuit, only spoke to say “not guilty” in response to a judge’s request for his pleas.
Matthew has been charged with attempted capital murder, abduction with intent to defile and sexual penetration with an object in connection with a brutal 2005 attack on a woman walking home from a grocery store.
Deputy Public Defender Dawn Butorac said she expected the trial to last six or seven days.
The defense did not submit a motion for a psychiatric evaluation of Matthew, something one of his attorneys said he wanted to do at Matthew’s October arraignment. It’s unclear whether they plan to submit the motion in the future.
After the hearing, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh said the victim in the case is prepared to testify against Matthew. He said she is currently in India.
“I think it’s fair to say she looks forward to the resolution of the case,” Morrogh said.
Authorities said the woman was returning home from a Giant supermarket on the night of Sept. 24, 2005, when a man grabbed her from behind on Rock Garden Drive, carried her to a park and sexually assaulted her. The attacker was startled by someone and fled.
Matthew was indicted in the case in October. Court records state that a comparison of DNA from the victim’s fingernail and a sample from Matthew produced a hit. The tests showed there was a greater than one in 7.2 billion chance that the DNA came from another person.
More Top Picks Best Arch Support Insoles For Seniors
Matthew was arrested in September in connection with Graham’s disappearance. Police said surveillance video showed Graham and Matthew together on Sept. 13, shortly before she went missing. Her body was found on an abandoned property in October. Matthew has been charged with abduction with intent to defile. His first hearing in that case is set for Dec. 4.