Man charged in fatal storage unit shooting pleads not guilty

REIDLAND, Ky. (AP) — A Benton man charged with fatally shooting a man during an altercation at a Reidland storage unit has pleaded not guilty to a capital murder charge.

Multiple media outlets report that 49-year-old Jeffrey Conrad entered his plea on Wednesday after being indicted for the Monday killing of 30-year-old Garlon Cox.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff’s Department, Conrad caught Cox and 36-year-old Brandon York, both of Benton, stealing items from his storage unit.

Sheriff Jon Hayden says Conrad was armed with a gun when he confronted the men. When York took off running, Conrad fired his gun, shooting Cox in the head. Cox later died at a hospital.

Conrad tells WPSD-TV (http://bit.ly/1FTbXJm ) he ordered the men not to move and says he was defending a female friend who was with him.

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Information from: WPSD-TV, http://www.wpsdlocal6.com

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