Man accused of killing Tanya Frazier in 1994 pleads not guilty

Seattle cold case murder suspect pleads not guilty

The man now charged in connection to the 1994 murder of a Seattle teen pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday.

SEATTLE - More than 30 years after 14-year-old Tanya Frazier was murdered. For the first time, her family saw the man charged in connection with her death in court on Tuesday.

Marc Anthony Russ, 57, entered the courtroom wearing an orange jumpsuit and faced a judge for the first time.

"Mr. Russ you have been charged by information with one count of murder in the first degree," the state said.

The backstory:

It was a breakthrough in DNA evidence that led to this moment. A moment that the family of Frazier has been waiting for, for more than 30 years.

"Mr. Russ, it is further alleged that at the time of this crime you were armed with a deadly weapon and that the purpose for this crime was for your sexual motivation," the state said in court.

Russ kept his head down and showed no emotion, as his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

"He’s nothing more than a coward, a pedophile, a rapist and now an accused killer, so we’re hoping to see this through. We’ll be here every day, and we pray for justice," Rose Winquist, the Frazier family’s private investigator said. "Here we are today, 32 years later, looking at this brutal man who took a little 14-year-old’s life, she had everything ahead of her and she should have been here today."

The other side:

FOX 13 Seattle cameras captured Tanya Frazier’s family as they hugged each other tightly — more than 30 years of emotions surfaced in one embrace.

"She was sweet, and innocent, and I mean innocent in the purest way, she was my big sister, she was my protector," said Teara Frazier, Tanya’s sister. "She’s never forgotten."

"We never gave up, none of us, never, we knew this day would come," Winquist said.

A trial is scheduled for Dec. 22.

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