Oregon suspect enters no plea in family deaths

Associated Press

NEWPORT, Ore. — A man who had been on the FBI’s "Ten Most Wanted" list for allegedly killing his wife and three children was arraigned on murder charges Wednesday, three days after his capture at a Mexico beach resort.

Christian Longo, 27, showed no emotion during his two court hearings, which he joined via closed-circuit television from Lincoln County jail.

He gave brief answers to a judge’s questions during the first hearing, saying "yes" when asked if he would like a court-appointed attorney and "no, I am not" when asked if was in a position to hire one.

Longo was later arraigned on charges of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife, MaryJane, 34, and children Zachery, 4, Sadie Ann, 3, and Madison, 2. He did not enter a plea.

Two attorneys were appointed to represent him, and his next court hearing was set for Jan. 23. Bail had been set at $2.5 million.

Attorney Ken Hadley said he would look into the possibility of having the trial moved out of Newport, where the family had lived and where two of the bodies were found.

Longo arrived Tuesday night in Oregon on a commercial flight to Portland from Houston, where he was initially held after his arrest Sunday in Tulum, Mexico, a resort town 60 miles south of Cancun.

Longo, who fled to Mexico using a stolen credit card and identification, waived extradition.

Lincoln County district attorney Bernice has said she has decided whether she would seek the death penalty, but refused to disclose her decision.

The bodies of Longo’s wife and children were found in coastal inlets in Waldport and Newport between Dec. 19 and Dec. 27.

Longo, who owned a construction cleaning business in Ypsilanti, Mich., moved with his family to the Newport area about three months before the bodies of his wife and children were found.

They reportedly left behind $60,000 in debts. Longo is named in six lawsuits seeking more than $30,000 and is wanted on two warrants in Michigan for probation violation and a larceny charge.