A 16-year-old youth appeared in court today charged with the murder of Megan McAlorum, the Belfast teenager found dead on Easter Monday.
During the brief hearing at Craigavon Magistrates Court in Co Armagh the youth, with an address in Belfast, spoke only twice - yes to confirm his name and yes to confirm he understood the charge.
A detective inspector told the court that when charged the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, replied: "Not guilty, I have nothing to do with her death."
He was remanded in custody to a young offender's centre to appear at Lisburn Magistrates Court on May 11th via video link.
The half-naked body of Megan (16) was discovered in an isolated forest area at Glenside Road, Dunmurry, about a mile from her home at Glencolin Road in the Lenadoon estate on the edge of West Belfast last Monday afternoon.
She had been missing after failing to return home from an Easter Sunday night in a nearby pub.
The youth charged today was arrested the day after her body was discovered.
Meanwhile a man arrested on Thursday remained in custody today after police were granted extra time to question him about the murder.
A woman, arrested yesterday in Ballymena, Co Antrim, continued to be questioned about allegedly assisting offenders.