Bryanna Dutcher, the 18-year-old charged with orchestrating her mother's fatal shooting on Bean-Oller Road, pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder Aug. 24 in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. Judge Marianne Hemmeter maintained Dutcher's $3 million bond and scheduled a trial to begin Nov. 3.

Dutcher had been set to begin college classes at Ohio Wesleyan University on Aug. 26. Instead, she is the third and final defendant arraigned in the Aug. 14 killing of her mother, Tamela Dutcher, 55, who was shot inside her home shortly after midnight.

Bryanna's boyfriend, Christian Evans, 20, and Evans' roommate, Dajameous Payne, 21, were arraigned Aug. 21. Both also pleaded not guilty. Evans entered an insanity plea and has been ordered to undergo a competency evaluation.

Dutcher wore a blue prison jumpsuit into court and did not make eye contact with the handful of family members seated in the courtroom, according to the Delaware Source. She and her father, Neil King, appeared stoic.

Defense attorney Dominic Mango argued the $3 million bond was excessive, telling the judge his client has no prior criminal record. "There's no allegations that my client engaged in any acts of violence or took place in any homicide or assault in this case," Mango said, according to 10TV.

Hemmeter denied the request.

Charges escalated twice

Dutcher was initially charged with obstruction of justice on Aug. 14, the day of the shooting. Prosecutors upgraded the charge to murder on Aug. 17, and a Delaware County grand jury indicted her on aggravated murder, an unclassified felony, on Aug. 20.

According to a probable cause affidavit detailed in Fox 28 Columbus reporting, Dutcher and her mother argued about cleaning hours before the shooting. Evans allegedly responded, "If I were you, I would have killed her."

In court, Delaware County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ashlee Beougher said text messages recovered from Dutcher's phone show she and Evans discussed killing her parents.

"Her boyfriend and her go back-and-forth about taking her parents out at the same time, likely with a firearm," Beougher said. "Bryanna, even at one point says, 'I'll just take them down.'"

Prosecutors also allege Evans texted "this has to be perfect" before the shooting, according to NBC4.

What investigators say happened

Dutcher initially told first responders she did not know who was responsible. After changing her story multiple times, she told investigators that Evans and Payne had come to the Bean-Oller Road home in Evans' Camaro on the night of Aug. 13 and that she heard gunshots 10 to 15 minutes after the men left.

Neil King, Tamela's husband, called 911 as a shot was being fired at him. A second shot missed him and struck a wall while he was bending over to help his wife.

Traffic cameras captured Evans' Camaro near Columbus Pike and East Powell Road at 12:44 a.m. on Aug. 14. Evans and Payne fled to West Virginia before returning to Ohio, where they were arrested. Evans told police he was "sorry for what he did," according to a Delaware Gazette report.

All three defendants remain in the Delaware County Jail on $3 million bonds. If convicted, each could face life in prison.

Dutcher's final pre-trial hearing is set for Oct. 19. Her trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 3.