NORTH HAVERHILL — A 73-year-old Bath, N.H., man entered not guilty pleas to second-degree murder charges in connection with the October shooting deaths of his sister-in-law and niece last week in Grafton Superior Court.
Charles Readey waived his formal arraignment that had been scheduled to take place on Monday in a Feb. 3 waiver agreed upon by both the state and defense.
Readey was arrested in October and indicted in January on two alternative counts of knowing and reckless second-degree murder for both the death of his sister-in-law, Cindy Moody, 67, and her daughter, Kristal Moody, a 39-year-old West Fairlee resident.
According to the police affidavit in support of the charges, years of growing turmoil ultimately led Readey to shoot Cindy Moody, who had been living in his basement on Tyler Way for three years, and her daughter, Kristal, who wasn’t allowed at the house but was there that day in October.
If convicted, a jury decides which charge, reckless or knowing, applies to each victim, determined on Ready’s mental state at the time of the shootings.
The maximum penalty for second-degree murder is life in prison.
In addition to the not guilty pleas, the waiver of arraignment stipulates that Readey remain detained at the Grafton House of Corrections.
A future court date has not been set.