AURORA | A 19-year-old man accused of fatally shooting an Aurora teen in the head last spring has pleaded not guilty to several murder charges filed against him, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Joseph McCaughin entered a not-guilty plea to a pair of first-degree murder charges and an attempted murder charge in Arapahoe County District Court Jan. 6, according to a spokesperson for the local DA’s Office.
McCaughin was arrested in Georgia 10 days after authorities believe he shot 16-year-old Ryan Robertson three times with a semi-automatic handgun near Wagon Trail Park on May 6.
Detectives with the Aurora Police Department believe McCaughin planned to meet Robertson at the southeast Aurora park to discuss their romantic involvement with the same 17-year-old girl, according to an arrest affidavit filed against McCaughin.
Witnesses said Robertson was upset McCaughin had reportedly assaulted his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend. Robertson had since started dating the same girl.
Police believe Robertson and McCaughin briefly exchanged words before the latter pulled a semi-automatic handgun out of his backpack and fired half a dozen shots toward Robertson in rapid succession.
One witness told investigators, “(McCaughin) acted out of anger, and aimed for Robertson’s head,” according to court documents.
McCaughin’s ex-girlfriend — the same teen who had become involved with Robertson in the weeks before his death — told police she had previously dated McCaughin for about three years, though the relationship ended in early 2018. She said “McCaughin was physically abusive during their entire relationship, and that he continued to stalk and physically assault her after they broke up.”
Police determined McCaughin had broken into the girl’s Aurora home several hours before he met Robertson. Before McCaughin left the girl’s home, he whispered to her that “if she f***ed with anyone, he would kill her and the other guy,” according to the affidavit.
McCaughin is being held without bond at the Arapahoe County jail, according to county records.
He’s scheduled to appear next in court Feb. 3 for a case management conference. A trial in the case is slated to begin in July.