GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Williamsville, Mo., man accused of brutally killing a couple and their toddler made his first court appearance this morning.
Drew D. Atchison was formally arraigned before Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller on three Class A felonies of first-degree murder, three unclassified felonies of armed criminal action, two Class A felonies of child kidnapping and the Class D felony of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, according to Wayne County Circuit Clerk Darren Garrison.
"The judge entered a plea of not guilty," which is standard "when they (defendants) are not represented," Garrison said.
Schuller, he said, ordered Atchison to appear on Feb. 15 for an "attorney status" in his case.
"(Atchison) had mentioned, showed the judge a card of an attorney, but we don't have any entries" by an attorney on Atchison's behalf, Garrison said.
Atchison's arraignment came the day after autopsies were performed on his alleged victims -- Harley Michael Million, 24, Samara Fontaine Kitts, 23, and their 17-month old daughter, Willa Fontaine Million.
Dr. Russell Deidiker determined Million and Kitts "died as the result of knife-inflicted injuries, and the child died from a gunshot," said Butler County Coroner Andy Moore, who indicated multiple wounds were found on the adults.
Deidiker, Moore said, also found what appeared to be "some defensive wounds," but further details are not being released at this time.
The autopsies, he said, confirmed what authorities thought regarding cause of death.
Atchison is accused of cutting the throats of Million and Kitts on Thursday at their Mill Spring, Mo., home and putting their bodies in the bed of Million's truck.
After the couple was killed, Atchison allegedly left the child alone at the home.
Authorities say he returned the next day to get the toddler, put her in the truck with her dead parents and drove to a Butler County farm off of Highway J. There he allegedly shot the toddler in the back of the head. He then allegedly removed the other bodies from the truck, stacked the bodies together, covered and left them.
Atchison then allegedly drove the truck to a residence on Cemetery Road in Williamsville and left it partially covered beneath a vacant carport.
On Friday before the murders were discovered, deputies went to that location and found the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado was registered to Million. Blood and what Finch earlier said appeared to be deer hair was found in the truck's bed.
"We just assumed someone had killed a deer and was hiding the truck," said Finch, who indicated nothing appeared to be suspicious at that time.
That changed on Sunday when the family was reported missing by relatives who had not had heard from them since Thursday.
When a deputy went to the couple's residence with family members, he saw blood on a door, Finch earlier said.
Then, looking out the door, the deputy observed "where it appeared blood had been washed off" the porch, Finch said.
During the ensuing investigation, Atchison was developed as a suspect.
When Atchison was brought in for questioning early Monday morning, Finch said, he confessed killing the family, as well as provided information as to the location of their bodies.
The bodies were found at about 3:30 a.m. Monday.
Once it was determined the location was in Butler County, Finch said, he contacted Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs.
The property owner, Dobbs earlier said, gave officers permission to conduct a search of the property.
"They were all three stacked behind an abandoned RV camper and covered with blankets," said Dobbs.
The firearm allegedly used to kill the child, Dobbs said, was found in a hunting cabin on the property.
Finch said the knife was recovered Monday "around the location of the victims" by investigator(s) with the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control.
"We're still following leads, still investigating, still moving along on it" at this time, Finch said.
A motive has yet to be released.