Man pleads not guilty in death of a pregnant co-worker

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A school’s assistant principal has pleaded not guilty in the June shooting death of a pregnant colleague.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/2e6Z2Pe ) 39-year-old Robert Jovantie Marks, of Zachary, entered the plea Tuesday to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Lyntell Washington and to first-degree feticide in the slaying of her unborn child.

Police have said Marks was the father of the unborn child.

State District Judge Beau Higginbotham set bail at $500,000. He also ordered Marks to have no contact with the victims’ family. Defense attorney Lionel Burns had asked for $125,000 bail, telling Higginbotham that Marks has no prior criminal record.

Marks is on leave from his assistant principal position at Brookstown Middle Magnet School, where Washington was an instructional specialist.

His next court date is Jan. 5.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com