Suspects involved in Coachella Valley couple’s murder reenter not guilty pleas
Four people accused in the killings of a Coachella Valley couple who vanished nearly five years ago reentered not guilty pleas during an information arraignment on Thursday.
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The suspects are due back in court for a status conference hearing on May 13
Manuel Rios, 29, of Coachella; Aaron Fernando Bernal, 29, of Indio; Adilene Ines Castaneda, 28, of Coachella; and Abraham Fregoso Jr., 33, of Indio; are charged for the killings of Audrey Moran, 26, and Jonathan Reynoso, 28, who disappeared May 10, 2017.
Rios is charged with two counts of murder, while the others are each charged with a single count of murder. Bernal, Fregoso and Castaneda are additionally charged with a single count of being an accessory after the fact.
The murder charges against the four defendants, who are all jailed without bail, include a special-circumstance allegation of killing a witness of a crime, making them eligible for the death penalty if prosecutors opt to pursue it.
Two other defendants in the case -- Eric Rios and Jesus Ruiz Jr. -- previously pleaded guilty to being accessories to the killing.
Eric Rios 
Jesus Ruiz Jr
News Channel 3 has been following this case closely.
Related Story: Judge in missing couple case orders trial after days of testimony about the murders
In 2020 charges had been filed against the six suspects after the couple's remains had been found at an unknown location in Coachella Valley. The couple had disappeared on May 10, 2017.
The trial is expected to start by the end of May.
News Channel 3's Samantha Lomibao closely followed the preliminary hearing for the four suspects in February. The hearings revealed new details on the murders and attempts to hide the crime.
The hearing included testimony from 8 witnesses, including a former roommate, a police investigator, an undercover agent, and Ruiz Jr.
You can check out Samantha's reports below:
