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Accused Child Murderer Says "Not Guilty"

By Brian Hagen

11/20/2014

File Booking Photo of Marcus McGowan

(KAIR)--Not guilty.

That's the plea entered Thursday in Leavenworth County District Court by the 30-year-old Atchison man charged in connection with the July death of his girlfriend's five-year-old daughter.

Marcus McGowan Thursday waived his preliminary hearing to enter the plea, which was followed by the scheduling of hearings leading up to his jury trial, now set for March 16th.

However, Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson says the U.S. Attorney's Office is reviewing the case for the possible filing of federal charges.

If that decision is made, the Leavenworth County case would be dismissed with the case moved to a federal venue. Thompson could be named as special prosecutor.

McGowan is charged with six counts, including first degree murder, aggravated endangering a child, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, in connection with a vehicle pursuit in July that ended with the death of five-year-old Cadence Harris.

She died on a Leavenworth street after McGowans's vehicle encountered construction and was followed by an exchange of gunfire with police.

She was riding in the vehicle with him after he fled from her mother's Atchison home following a domestic incident. The resulting pursuit took McGowan from Atchison into Missouri and ultimately into Leavenworth.

McGowan remains in custody, held on a $1 million dollar bond.

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