Ex-boyfriend pleads not guilty in death of Morgan Bates
TROY – The suspect in the death of Morgan Bates appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon.
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Ian Hasselwander, 22, of Petersburgh is accused of killing the 20-year-old woman and leaving her body in the woods in Rensselaer County.
This was the first time seeing Hasselwander in person. He was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree strangulation in front of Judge Jennifer Sober. Through his attorney, he pleaded not guilty to both.
It was a tense courtroom as some members of Bates’ family watched her accused killer.
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Bates went missing February 22. Her body was found near Black River Road in Cherry Plain State Park in Stephentown five days later.
Her family tells NewsChannel 13 that Hasselwander is her ex-boyfriend.
The Cambridge High School graduate was known for her love of horses, and all animals.
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Learn more about some of the evidence against Hasselwander that prosecutors say they have by watching the video of Kumi Tucker’s story.