The man accused of a horrific crime last month appeared in an Anchorage courtroom Wednesday, with his attorney entering a not-guilty plea on his behalf as he sat quietly.
Jerry Andrew Active, 24, is charged in the May 25 murders of 73-year-old Touch Chea and 71-year-old Sorn Sreap. He is also charged with sexually assaulting Sreap and the 2-year-old granddaughter the elderly couple was babysitting during the Memorial Day weekend.
Some of Active's family members say they did not attend court because of fear for their lives following recent death threats.
The 2-year-old child's mother, Minesoreta Seng, says she felt sick to her stomach when we saw Active enter the courtroom.
"Whatever he says, he knows he's lying," Seng said. "I could see it in his face. He couldn't stand looking at me or my husband."
Active's cousin, Pastor Paul Frost, says Active told him what happened the night he was arrested during a jail visit Tuesday evening.
Frost says Active told him he was drinking at an apartment in Mountain View when he got into a fight and his shirt and shoes came off. Frost says Active told him that he went outside and shortly after that he was attacked by someone.
"I was listening to him and I was looking at him and his story made sense," Frost said.
Frost says he is praying for the Anchorage Police and all of those involved in the crime.
"I mean he says he didn't do it," says Frost, " I mean if they find his pants and the DNA matches up and the police do their job. If they're not just looking for a quick conviction and they do their job and he's convicted and he had a good attorney and a good defense and he's guilty um then I'd be suprised, because he fooled me you know."
Seng and her family refuse to believe Active's story, and want to see him face the maximum penalty for the crimes he's charged with.
"I saw him in the room with my daughter and that's how the story goes," Seng said. "If they want to believe whatever he said they (can) go ahead, but it's still not going to change anything."
Prosecutors in the case say the crimes Active is charged with carry a possible sentence of 171 years in prison.
Contact Mallory Peebles