Illinois man pleads not guilty in woman’s death in Iowa

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) -A 21-year-old Illinois man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend and leaving her body at an arboretum in Iowa has pleaded not guilty.

Richard Forsythe, of Galena, Illinois, recently entered a written plea in Iowa District Court in Dubuque County.

He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Jennifer Lopez, of East Dubuque, Illinois. Her body was found Feb. 1 at the Dubuque Arboretum. Police say she was stabbed 15 times.

Forsythe’s next court hearing is set for April 12.