BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON -- Dennis A. Marcum pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges connected with the July slayings of two Hamilton men.
Mr. Marcum, 38, stood silently while assistant county prosecutor Rick Hyde read the list of charges against him in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
The Morgan Township man is charged with four counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated burglary, aggravated arson, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.
He is accused of killing a former neighbor, 64-year-old Melvin Powell, on July 22, and killing a friend, 33-year-old James D. Petree, on July 25. Both men were beaten and then stabbed to death.
Police say Mr. Marcum also poured gasoline on Mr. Powell's body and set the house on fire.
He is charged with four counts of aggravated murder in two deaths because two of the counts involve charges of aggravated murder while committing aggravated burglary.
Judge Michael Sage set a pretrial hearing for Friday.
Mr. Marcum's attorney, Ronald Morgan, said he entered a not-guilty plea Wednesday as a formality. Mr. Morgan said he reserves the right to change the plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.
Before Mr. Marcum was indicted, he had entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity at an August preliminary hearing in Hamilton Municipal Court.
Mr. Petree's relatives watched Wednesday's arraignment, but they did not comment.
