Murder suspect in court

Murder suspect Kevin Dell Mooney appeared Monday in Circuit Court, where he waived formal arraignment and pleaded innocent to the charges against him.

Mooney, 31, and Tony M. Overlin, 23, both of Bethany, were arrested in mid-September by Maryville police moments after allegedly attacking Northwest Missouri State University student Tomarken Smith on Market Street just outside Molly's, a downtown bar and dance club.

Both defendants are charged with second-degree murder and felony assault.

Mooney, who is free on bond, was in court only a few minutes and was represented by Cameron attorney Cale Griffin. Judge Roger Prokes accepted the non-binding plea and set a pre-trail conference for March 11.

Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rice said it is possible that a trail date will be set at that time, and that he has no plans of offering a plea bargain in the interim.