Not-guilty pleas in Jenner Beach killing

Five young men charged with murder in the killing of a witness near Jenner Beach -- a potential capital case -- pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Quentin Russell, 25; Preston Khaoone, 22; Tyrone Tay, 26; and brothers David, 19, and Sarith Prak, 22, remain held without bail at Sonoma County Jail.

They are accused of the March 2 killing of Vutha Au, 24, who had been in the witness protection program in connection with a case in which police said his brother was the victim of an attack by two of Khaoone's brothers.

Although the charges could warrant the death penalty, prosecutors have yet to announce if they will pursue capital punishment.

Detectives say Tay was with Au before he and the other four men drove Au to a beach parking lot near Goat Rock on March 2. There, investigators say, Au was shot nine times.

A state park ranger en route to an unrelated disturbance saw the young men driving out of a beach parking lot about 1 a.m. and spotted Au's body moments later.

-- L.A. Carter