Judge Enters Not Guilty Plea For Wis. Double Murder Suspect

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Minnesota man accused of murdering a photo store owner and his son in La Crosse, Wis., was silent as he appeared in La Crosse County Court Thursday to face murder charges.

At a court hearing, a judge entered a not guilty plea on Jeffrey Lepsch's behalf in connection with the shooting deaths of 56-year-old Paul Petras and his son A.J. at May's Photo Shop. The two were shot to death inside the photo store after finishing a photography class.

Lepsch, 39, is facing two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, armed robbery with the use of force and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, police found as many as 14 stolen items from the photo shop at his home.

Lepsch is from the southeastern Minnesota town of Dakota. He remains in the La Crosse County Jail on $2 million bond.