LAGUNA NIGUEL : Not-Guilty Plea Given in Death of Mother
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A San Clemente man accused of killing his 76-year-old mother 18 months ago pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a murder charge in Municipal Court in Laguna Niguel.
Clifford L. Burgess, 45, who has a history of mental illness, was arrested a second time earlier this month in connection with the suffocation death of his mother, Mary Burgess, authorities said.
Burgess was first arrested a few hours after his mother was found dead in her San Clemente home on Sept. 6, 1992, but was released the next day because of a lack of evidence.
Evidence collected at the scene and re-evaluated since the slaying links Burgess to the crime, authorities have said.
A preliminary hearing March 22 will determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to trial in Superior Court.
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