MONROE — A man who police said admitted to killing his wife last year entered a not-guilty plea Monday.

Dan Warren Edwards, 59, formerly of 3204 Collaroy Road in Waxhaw, was charged with first-degree murder after police said he killed his wife, Logan Drake Edwards.

Logan Edwards was last seen Oct. 31, 2008, and had been missing for almost two weeks before investigators found her body in the Congaree River near Santee, S.C.

Dan Edwards initially told detectives he and his wife had had an argument and she decided to drive to her family’s home in Charleston, S.C. Instead, police said, the argument Halloween night escalated and ended with Edwards killing his 54-year-old wife. Reports showed there had been a history of domestic violence in the marriage and police said at the time that Edwards eventually admitted killing her.

Edwards appeared in court Monday wearing a yellow shirt and khaki pants. His attorney, Richard Culler, told Superior Court Judge David Lee that “there are additional discovery issues” and tried to delay the arraignment.

District Attorney John Snyder said he intended to move forward and said he wanted to start the trial as early as Jan. 5.

“Well, not guilty would be the answer to the question,” Culler said.

Culler told Lee that he has another murder trial likely to begin in late November in Anson County and would not have time to prepare to defend Edwards.

Lee scheduled the trial for Jan. 19, but told Culler it was a tentative scheduling.

Two rows of people sat behind Edwards. When the court proceedings ended, Edwards turned and raised his arms toward them. One man raised his arms back at Edwards. The people in the group did not identify themselves and met with Culler in the hall after Edwards was taken away.

Culler and the group declined any further comment. Snyder also declined further comment.