LAFAYETTE, Ind., Jan. 23 (UPI) -- An Indiana magistrate entered a not guilty plea Thursday for Purdue University student Cody Cousins, accused of murder in the death of a fellow student.
Cousins, 23, of Warsaw, Ind., faces a preliminary murder charge in the death of Andrew F. Boldt, 21, of West Bend, Wis. School officials said both were seniors in the College of Engineering.
The shooting and stabbing occurred about noon Tuesday in the basement of the university's Electrical Engineering Building.
Campus police Chief John Cox said Cousins allegedly fired four or five shots, and then left the building, surrendering to officers minutes later just outside the building. Cox said the shooting appeared to be deliberate.
Cousins appeared before Tippecanoe County Magistrate Sean Persin, the Lafayette (Ind.) Courier Journal reported. Persin told Cousins of his rights and said the charge of murder carries a possible sentence of 45 to 65 years.
Persin said aggravating circumstances could raise the charges to a capital crime, which could mean a sentence of life in prison or the death penalty, the newspaper reported.
The magistrate entered a not guilty plea and denied bond for Cousins. The Journal Courier said that is standard practice when a defendant is charged with murder. The report said Cousins indicated he understood the charges and possible sentence, saying only "yes" or "no" to questions.
Persin set a preliminary trial date of April 22.
