Not guilty plea entered in death of LV woman

A man charged in the Jan. 24 slaying and sexual assault of a Las Vegas woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Las Vegas Justice Court.

According to Las Vegas police, Derrick Valentine, 37, of Pasadena, Calif., told them that he raped and strangled 35-year-old Melodie Walker in her northwest valley home because he "wanted to perform oral sex on Walker and he knew she would not allow him to."

During arraignment, Valentine said he was not guilty and did not want to invoke his right to a speedy trial.

On April 7, District Judge Jennifer Togliatti is expected to schedule Valentine's trial on one count of murder and two counts of sexual assault.

Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lalli said the district attorney's death penalty committee will meet March 31 to discuss whether to pursue the death penalty in Valentine's case.

"There are two potential aggravating circumstances," said Lalli after the hearing. "Those are the sexual assaults." The coroner listed Walker's cause of death as "asphyxia by strangulation." According to police, Valentine said he decided to kill her after she activated the alarm system at her home near Gilcrease Avenue and Fort Apache Road.

Police indicated Valentine and Walker might have known each other .