Jimmy Ray Steed says he’s not guilty of killing Carla Cook Fuqua.

On Thursday, Steed entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge levied against him in the 2009 death of Fuqua, whose remains were found December 4th of last year – just a short distance from the homes of both Steed and Fuqua; the skeletal remains were found by Calhoun County Sheriffs Office Investigators and members of the Cold Case Unit, just off Alabama 21.

Steed was indicted by a Calhoun County grand jury in August of this year (2013) – in connection with Fuqua’s death; she was last seen at her home in Piedmont on October 29th of 2009.

According to the grand jury, Steed reportedly killed the 28 year old woman by striking her with a baseball bat or similar object – on or about the day she went missing.

Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson, has said that Steed is considered a suspect in three other cases involving missing persons from the Piedmont area.

No date has yet been set for Steed’s upcoming trial.

(Anniston Star/www.annistonstar.com)