During a hearing yesterday in New York City, the man accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering Sierra Bush declared his innocence before being extradited to Idaho.
Bruce Marchant arrived back in the Gem State just after midnight Thursday to face charges in connection with the rape and killing of Boise State student Sierra Bush.
Wednesday, as authorities led Marchant out of a Manhattan court room, he asked if anyone present was a reporter. He then declared he wasn't guilty of rape and murder.
Marchant was picked up by authorities in November in a Veterans Affairs hospital in Manhattan. According to the New York Post, he claims he didn't flee to the east because of the crime; Marchant says the timing of his trip to New York is pure coincidence.
Sierra Bush was an honors student at BSU. She was just 18 when she died. Bush disappeared in late September and wasn't found for over three weeks. Her naked body was discovered in the outskirts of Idaho City October 22.
Before her death, her father rented a home to Marchant just a half mile from the Bush family residence. After her body was discovered, Bush's father said he suspected Marchant could be involved in his daughter’s death. Marchant previously spent two decades in an Idaho prison for arson, assault and armed robbery.
For more local news, follow the KBSX newsroom on Twitter @KBSX915
Copyright 2017 Boise State Public Radio