Alfred Powell’s hands were shaking when Monterey County Superior Court Judge Mark Hood asked the people in the courtroom to rise. He was moments away from being arraigned on a murder charge—for the second time in his life.
On Wednesday, Powell pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sandra McGee, who went missing in 1982 and whose skeletal remains were unearthed from a Monterey yard last September.
McGee is believed to have given a ride to Powell, a hitchhiker, before she disappeared and her missing person case went cold. Thirty-two years after her disappearance, her remains were found by landscapers digging in the yard of the Third Street house, where Powell used to live in the garage.
It remains unclear how McGee was murdered or how long her remains had been in the yard. Authorities are not disclosing that information yet.
By the time McGee’s remains were found, Powell was already behind bars, serving 15 years to life in prison for the 1983 murder of Suzanne Nixon, a Pebble Beach hairstylist.
Powell did not say much in court, he only stated his date of birth and name, and requested to have a representative from the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office appointed to his case.
He will return to court June 21 for a calendar call on his preliminary hearing, which is set for June 23. Powell waived his right to have a preliminary hearing within 10 days.
Assistant District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni said that while Powell serves his time in state prison, he has continuously requested parole, but has been denied every single time.