John Graham, a Native man from Canada, pleaded not guilty on Friday to the murder of American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Pictou Aquash.
The plea came a day after Canada's Supreme Court refused to hear Graham's final appeal.
He was quickly extradited to South Dakota to face charges for the 1975 murder of Aquash on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
"We weren't given anything. Nobody would hear anything. We just wanted to see our dad at least before he was extradited," Naneek Graham, one of Graham's daughters, told CBC News.
Aquash was part of AIM in the 1970s. Federal prosecutors allege he and Arlo Looking Cloud, a Lakota from Pine Ridge, killed Aquash, whose body wasn't found until February 1976.
Looking Cloud was found guilty by a federal jury. He lost an appeal of his conviction and sentence and is serving a life term in prison.
Graham has maintained his innocence. Looking Cloud initially said Graham was the murderer.
Get the Story:Family of slain Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq hopes murder trial will bring closure (CP 12/10)
Not guilty plea in Am. Indian killing (AP 12/8)
Statement by Graham Family (Bay Area Indymedia 12/8)
Family of 1975 slaying suspect shocked by swift extradition (CBC 12/7) Relevant Links:
John Graham Defense Committee - http://www.grahamdefense.org
Indigenous Women for Justice - http://www.indigenouswomenforjustice.org
Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash Info - http://www.dickshovel.com/annalay.html Related Stories:
Aquash murder suspect loses extradition appeal (12/7)
Canadian man awaits word on Aquash extradition (12/5)
Bill Means: AIM will defend record in court (9/6)
Aquash murder defendant fights extradition (08/10)
Aquash murder defendant appeals extradition (8/2)
Aquash murder defendant loses extradition appeal (6/27)
Aquash murder suspect appeals extradition order (5/18)
Aquash murder suspect remains on house arrest (03/05)
Man convicted of Aquash murder gets new lawyer (09/18)
Aquash family patient as wheels of justice turn (07/10)
Man to fight extradition for murder of Aquash (06/23)
Man charged with Aquash murder free on bail (11/08)
Aquash murder defendant awaits extradition (03/03)
Aquash murder defendant to appeal extradition case (02/22)
Peltier cuts ties with Aquash murder defendant (02/03)
Final arguments in Aquash extradition hearing (2/2)
Peltier said to have given false info in Aquash case (01/26)
Aquash murder defendant can't question FBI photo (01/12)
Aquash murder defendant appeals conviction (1/11)
Aquash murder suspect told medicine man of crime (12/07)
Extradition hearing to begin in Aquash murder case (12/6)
Extradition hearing set in Aquash murder case (11/02)
Aquash finally laid to rest on home reserve (06/22)
Aquash reburial on hold due to legal challenge (6/21)
Aquash to be reburied on Mi'kmaq reserve (6/17)
Man convicted of Aquash murder moved to prison (06/09)
Aquash murder suspect faces extradition hearing (05/18)
Looking Cloud appeals conviction of Aquash murder (05/05)
Man sentenced to life for 1975 murder of Aquash (04/26)
Aquash to be reburied on home reserve in Canada (4/23)
Aquash murder defendant assigned new attorney (04/08)
Hearing delayed for second Aquash murder suspect (03/31)
Aquash murder suspect remains free on bail (03/25)
Lawyer seeks removal from Aquash murder case (3/23)
Commentary: Racist trial for Aquash murder (03/10)
Extradition hearing for Aquash murder suspect delayed (3/2)
Juror: AIM testimony not needed in Aquash trial (3/1)
Looking Cloud guilty for Anna Mae Aquash's murder (2/9)
Trudell blames Anna Mae murder on AIM leaders (2/6)
Trial: Aquash heard Peltier brag about killing FBI agents (2/5)
Jury for Anna Mae Aquash murder has one Indian (2/4)
Questions remain as Aquash murder trial starts (2/3)
Man accused of murdering Anna Mae goes on trial (2/2)
Man accused in Aquash murder fights U.S. extradition (1/29)
Aquash murder suspect released on bail in B.C. (01/16)
Aquash murder suspect seeking release from jail (01/13)
Second man arrested for Anna Mae Aquash murder (12/03)
Federal judge to hold hearing in Aquash murder case (10/09)
AIM asked to help man charged with Aquash murder (09/24)
Aquash family disappointed with trial delay (09/17)
Trial for man charged with Aquash murder delayed (9/12)
Man charged with Aquash murder seeks trial delay (9/10)
Evidence in Aquash murder case may be missing (08/22)
Trial for Anna Mae Aquash murder suspect delayed (06/09)
Peltier sues Indian newspaper editor for libel (05/06)
Anna Mae Aquash suspect to go to trial in June (04/24)
Aquash murder suspect transferred to S.D. (4/22)
Editorial: Anne Mae murder deserves to be solved (04/14)
Second Anna Mae indictment was mistakenly unsealed (4/8)
Canadian police aware of Aquash developments (4/4)
Second man sought in murder of Anna Mae Aquash (4/3)
Arrest made in murder of Anna Mae Aquash (4/2)
Editorial: Aquash murder deserves attention (01/30)
Anna Mae Aquash murder investigated again (1/27)
