Suspect in 2009 Iowa City murder pleads not guilty

A man accused of first-degree murder in the 2009 homicide of an Iowa City property manager entered a written arraignment and plea of not guilty in Johnson County Tuesday afternoon.

Justin A. Marshall, 20, is accused of having been at the apartment building located at 1958 Broadway St. on Oct. 8, 2009, when property manager John E. Versypt, of Cordova, Ill., was shot and killed.

Marshall became a person of interest in the case after a witness told Iowa City Police about hearing a "pop," and hearing Marshall knock on a door and whisper to be let in.

Clothing belonging to Marshall later tested positive for the components that make up gunshot residue.

On Nov. 18, 2009,  Marshall was taken into custody on a $100,000 bond at the Johnson County Jail as a material witness. He was released on April 29, 2010.

On July 14, Marshall was taken into custody in Texas and charged with first-degree murder. He was brought back to Johnson County by local law enforcement and made his initial appearance on July 26 .

A pretrial conference for Marshall is scheduled for Jan. 6. His trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 17.