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VA man pleads not guilty in AZ 1978 killing

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A Virginia man accused of fatally shooting a college student near Phoenix more than 37 years ago has pleaded not guilty.

Lawyers for 54-year-old Edward Meinhold say their client entered his plea Friday.

Meinhold, of Bristol, was extradited to Arizona on Sept. 3 and his bond was set the next day at $500,000.

Meinhold is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder stemming from the March 1978 killing of 21-year-old Susan Schmidt of Glendale, Arizona.

Schmidt was found slumped over in her car in Glendale and was later pronounced dead.

Investigators say they identified Meinhold as the suspect after they recently reviewed crime-scene evidence and interviewed him.

Meinhold wasn't contacted by police until this year.

Attorneys for Meinhold say he's innocent and has no connection to the murder case.