Arroyo Grande man accused of murdering Kristen Marti pleads not guilty

The Arroyo Grande resident accused of murdering 26-year-old Kristen Marti, whose body was discovered near Prefumo Canyon in March, pleaded not guilty Thursday after a four-day search for an appropriate attorney.

Robert William Koehler, 36, entered the plea to a single count of murder after his arraignment had been continued daily since Monday after the San Luis Obispo County public defender's office declared it had a conflict in the case and needed to contract a private attorney to represent him.

After several local attorneys also declared conflicts in the case, Judge Ginger Garrett on Thursday appointed San Luis Obispo defense attorney Trace Milan, who confirmed he has no conflicts in the case.

Attorney conflicts are common, especially in smaller communities, and can result from an attorney having previously represented someone on the prosecution's witness list.

Milan declined to comment on the case Thursday other than to say he was still awaiting all of the discovery.

The body of Marti, who had been missing since Jan. 9, was discovered following a large-scale search of the Perfumo Canyon area, where she is believed to have been last seen with Koehler. He did not have a prior relationship with Marti, San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell said at a news conference at the time.

Police announced May 16 that they arrested Koehler, who had previously been identified as a person of interest in the case, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a warrant was issued when he left San Luis Obispo County with his wife on May 2. He was extradited to California last week after being held in the Hennepin County Jail in Minnesota.

Koehler, who waived his right to a speedy trial, is now being held without bail in San Luis Obispo County Jail.

In addition to the murder charge, the District Attorney's Office's complaint includes a sentencing enhancement for use of a deadly weapon, a knife, during the alleged murder. The complaint also states that Koehler has a prior felony conviction for carjacking out of Shasta County in 2005.

Koehler is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing July 16.

This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Arroyo Grande man accused of murdering Kristen Marti pleads not guilty."