A 59-year-old Montana man charged in the 1996 killing of a Kirkland, Wash., woman has pleaded not guilty.

Clifford Reed was arrested in December at his home in Victor, Mont., and charged with second-degree murder for the death of Sandi Johnson, who disappeared in April 1996. Her skeletal remains were found in 2004 near Highway 410 in Pierce County, Wash.

Authorities say that Reed and Johnson worked together at a car dealership. Investigators say Reed had a sexual interest in Johnson and told co-workers they would marry, but that she had told him to leave her alone.

KOMO-TV reports that Reed entered his plea Thursday in Seattle.

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Information from: KOMO-TV, http://www.komotv.com/