A Pierceton man was read murder charges in Kosciusko County Circuit Court this morning.
Ian James Clark, 34, Pierceton, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murder.
Clark is accused of killing his girlfriend Matara Tell Muchowicz's 2-year-old daughter Samantha.Clark, dressed in a gray prison jumpsuit, sat silently next to his defense attorney, Bryan J. Berry.
Judge Rex Reed notified Clark of the murder charge, advised him of the penalties, and asked whether Clark wished to retain Berry as counsel to which Clark responded with a "Yes, sir."
Clark also is facing a charge of battery, a Class A felony.
On May 25, law enforcement officers responded to a call to the Kosciusko County Dispatch regarding an unresponsive 2-year-old. When authorities arrived, Matara Tell Muchowicz was outside her residence on Ridinger Lake with her daughter.
Samantha Muchowicz was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. at Kosciusko Community Hospital. The cause of death was ruled "multiple blunt trauma."
According to police reports, Clark told police the girl suffered her injuries from a fall.
Clark could face up to 65 years in jail on the murder charge, and possibly a life sentence or the death penalty.
He could face up to 50 years for the battery charge.
