Prostitute charged with Google executive's death pleads not guilty

The high-priced prostitute charged with the murder of a Google executive in November was arraigned in a Santa Cruz County, California courtroom this morning. Alix Tichelman, 26, pleaded not guilty.

Tichelman was arrested over the July 4 weekend following an investigation into the death of Forrest Hayes, 51, who was found dead on his yacht in November. Police say they have surveillance footage of Tichelman on the yacht, gathering her belongings and leaving after Hayes was injected with heroin. Hayes died of a heroin overdose.

She is being charged with manslaughter and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. According to USA Today, the judge asked her if she understood the charges and she said she did.

Larry Biggam, one of the attorneys representing Tichelman, said that Hayes’ death was an accident and that the case is more like involuntary manslaughter than murder.

“To demonize Alix Tichelman here is just wrong," Biggam said. "This was a consensual sexual encounter initiated by Mr. Hayes...she had no reason to harm him. He was a lucrative source of income to her."

The case has earned plenty of media interest from around the country. In fact, she has been linked to the September death of Dean Riopelle and police there have opened a new investigation into the case.

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