By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

EDGARD – The man accused in the Dec. 5 murder of 15-year-old LaPlace resident Taylor Adams pleaded not guilty to charges against him in a brief court appearance Wednesday.

Earnest Joseph III entered his plea before 40th Judicial court Judge Madeline Jasmine at the St. John the Baptist Parish Courthouse. His privately retained attorney, David Belfield, was also present for the arraignment procedure.

Joseph, 27, was indicted Jan. 4 on second-degree murder charges in connection with the beating death of Adams. Joseph is accused of beating the former Riverside Academy student to death inside her own home in the 2500 block of Yorktowne Drive in the early morning hours of Dec. 5.

Adams’ mother Gaylyn discovered her daughter’s body after returning from work at about 6:30 a.m. that morning. Gaylyn Adams told detectives she had not seen or spoken to her daughter since about 9 p.m. Dec. 4, and that she expected her daughter to be home by herself. The mother had worked as a security guard in LaPlace and often worked a 12-hour shift overnight.

An autopsy report indicated the victim sustained blunt force trauma to the head but did not specify a murder weapon. Detectives suspect the incident took place sometime after 1 a.m. Dec. 5 based on Adams’ Facebook activity that evening. Three days after discovering Adams had been murdered, authorities named Joseph as a suspect. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals near Gulfport, Miss.

Joseph and Adams lived on the same street and within a couple of blocks of each other. Authorities said the two knew each other. Detectives have not released a motive in the killing, but evidence showed that an intense struggle took place inside the home. Deputies recovered a murder weapon and forensic evidence from the scene.

Joseph remains incarcerated at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace. His next scheduled court date in a preliminary examination is set for Feb. 16.

If convicted of second-degree murder, Joseph would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or probation.