ACCUSED DOUBLE MURDERER PLEADS NOT GUILTY THURSDAY

The man accused of killing two Twentynine Palms women was in a Joshua Tree courtroom again Thursday. Rafael Aikens, 22, pleaded not guilty to double homicide in his second arraignment. During Aikens’ preliminary hearing in August, law enforcement officials laid out their case that Aikens, a machine-gunner attached to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment aboard the base, shot and killed Christy McKissic, 32, and her mother Renee Metcalf, 62, in their home in the 7700 block of Bedouin Avenue just after midnight, March 24. Judge Rodney Cortez agreed there was enough evidence to hold Aikens over for trial, and he was arraigned Thursday on two counts of murder and two counts of discharging a firearm causing gross bodily injury. Rafael Aikens is being held in jail on $3.5 million bail pending his trial.