The man believed to have kidnapped and murdered Tennessee nursing student Holly Bobo in 2011 has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
29-year-old Zachary Adams appeared at the Decatur County courthouse on Tuesday clad in his prison uniform, shackled at the arms and legs, CBS News reported.
When asked by the judge if he comprehended the charges against him, he responded, "Yes, sir."
Flanked by his legal representation Jennifer Lynn Thompson, Adams didn't say much else during the hearing. The judge scheduled another court appearance for April 9, then announced that he intended to "keep the case moving."
Adams was arrested last week in alleged connection with the disappearance of country music singer Whitney Duncan's cousin Holly, who vanished on April 13, 2011. Holly's brother told police at the time that he saw her being taken into a wooded area nearby with a man wearing camouflage.
District Attorney General Hansel McAdams said during a media conference that officers believed the could "prove she was taken forcefully from her home without consent. Based on the evidence before us, we feel she was killed in perpetration of that kidnapping."
Adams was being held by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation without bond until Tuesday for "especially aggravated kidnapping," along with first-degree felony murder, NBC reported.
Adams was arrested for an unrelated charge last Friday, according to the Associated Press. The grand jury's indictment against Adams concerning Bobo's murder-kidnapping was announced last Wednesday.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director Mark Gwyn couldn't confirm whether officials found any remains, nor could he say what sort of evidence specifically was discovered during the search of Adams' home, located in Holladay, nearly 15 miles from Bobo's house.
Police will continue searching for further clues and won't hesitate to arrest more suspects, Gwyn told AP at the time of Adams' arrest.
