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Nadia Kersh Murder Suspect Joacquas Haywood Pleads Not Guilty in Capital Case of Missing Ala. Mother

Nadia Kersh Murder Update: Suspect Joacquas Haywood Pleads Not Guilty in Case of Missing Ala. Mother
Nadia Kersh (Personal Photo)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CBS/WIAT) A suspect in the 2008 disappearance of Alabama mother Nadia Kersh pleaded not guilty Monday to a three-count capital murder indictment.

PICTURES: Nadia Kersh Missing

Suspect Joacquas Haywood, who's 27, was believed to be a person of interest since the beginning of the investigation, when Kersh was reportedly last seen Nov. 3, 2008, leaving her job at Tria Market in Homewood, Ala., south of Birmingham.

"We stand on our plea of not guilty and at this point he's presumed not guilty," said Haywood's appointed attorney, Alaric May, before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Clyde Jones, according to CBS affiliate WIAT.

Kersh's disappearance was first noticed after she failed to pick up her young son from day care, according to authorities. Birmingham police later recovered Kersh's car, but her body has never been found though authorities continue to search, according to WIAT.

According to District Attorney Brandon Falls, prosecuting a murder case with no body will be challenging, but he is confident that there is a strong case against Haywood, reports WIAT.

Haywood's lawyer, May, said, "There is no evidence that we've been presented with at this time that concerns us of as of yet. And so we will just have to wait and see how this plays out and we look forward to trying this case in front of twelve members of this county,"May said.

Haywood, of Irondale, was reportedly an acquaintance of Kersh and turned himself in to authorities in early May. He's charged with capital murder, because authorities believe Kersh's death occurred during the commission of a burglary.

Tria has been set for April 18th, 2011.

MORE ON CRIMESIDER 
May 7, 2010 - Nadia Kersh Update: Arrest Made in Case of Missing Ala. Mother

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