The sole suspect in the brutal murders of a Janesville area woman and her two teenage children has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first degree intentional homicide. James Koepp entered the pleas Monday afternoon in Rock County Circuit Court.
Court Commissioner Charles Holznecht conducted the arraignment by phone since the video conference equipment wasn't connecting to Koepp at Columbia Correctional facility in Portage. The same problem occurred during Koepps scheduled arraignment last week, delaying the case to Monday. The 49 year-old Koepp is charged in the January 2007 murders of 38 year-old Danyetta Lentz, her 17 year-old daughter Nicole and 14 year-old son Scott, at their mobile home south of Janesville. Koepp was a resident of the same mobile home park where the Lentz family lived.
Attorneys for Koepp said they plan to file motions to dismiss the three homicide charges against him. "It's our understanding that the trailer where the crime was committed has been destroyed," said attorney Walter Isaacson, who cited destruction of evidence in filing the motions to dismiss. Isaacson said he will also file for a change of venue. Koepp could receive consecutive life sentences for the murders. He is currently being held at the Columbia Correctional Institution.
