Elledge pleads not guilty to child abuse but murder plea delayed

(AP) — A Missouri man charged in his Chinese wife’s death pleaded not guilty to child abuse and domestic assault charges but a plea in the murder case was delayed.

Joseph Elledge entered the pleas Monday to child abuse, endangerment and domestic assault. A plea on a first-degree murder charge was delayed until he can find a lawyer for that case.

Elledge is accused of killing his wife, Mengqi Ji, who has not been seen since early October. The child abuse and endangerment charges relate to the couple’s 1-year-old daughter. Court documents say investigators believe Elledge strangled his wife and dumped her body in a remote area.

(This story was last updated at 5:58 a.m. Tuesday.)