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Brother Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Of Calaveras County Girl

CALAVERAS COUNTY (CBS/AP) -  An attorney for a Central California 12-year-old boy charged with fatally stabbing his little sister said Wednesday his client has pleaded not guilty.

Attorney Mark Reichel said the juvenile accused of killing 8-year-old Leila Fowler entered his plea during a closed court proceeding in Calaveras County on Wednesday.

Reichel said the boy spoke only once, answering "yes" when a judge asked him if he agreed to waive his right to a speedy trial.

The boy originally told investigators that he found his sister's body and encountered an intruder inside their Valley Springs home while their parents were at a Little League game on April 27.

The killing set off an intense manhunt as investigator swept through the Sierra Nevada.

The boy is due back in court on July 31.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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