JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The former boyfriend of a chief petty officer accused of shooting and killing her in September pleaded not guilty Monday.
Danny Ray Beard, 36, has been charged in the murder of Andrea Washington, who was found dead inside her home on Sept. 17, hours before a hearing was scheduled on a protective order against Beard.
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An injunction filed on Sept. 4 stated that Beard pushed Washington, 37, to the floor, kicked her in the stomach and threatened her with a gun during an argument over bills.
Washington was set to deploy aboard the USS Hue City the week she was killed.
According to the affidavit for arrest warrant, JSO found several live bullets near her body, and sent them off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for processing. Six DNA profiles were found on the bullets and the FDLE said it was 490,000 times more likely that the DNA was that of Beard and two of the other contributors, the warrant states.
JSO also tracked Beard’s cellphone activity, which placed him at Washington’s home during the time of Washington’s murder, according to the warrant. Beard had previously told police he wasn’t at her home that night.
Police said Beard had lived with Washington, but he moved out two weeks before she was killed.
Beard will be in court again Jan. 31 for a pretrial hearing.