Crest

An East County man accused of beating his mother to death with a rock and burying her near their mobile home pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of murder.

Ashley Victor Demers, 26, of Crest, was arraigned in the death of Anna Adele Demers, 67, by San Diego Municipal Judge H. Ronald Domnitz, who ordered that Demers be held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

“This obviously is a very sad case for everyone involved,” Domnitz said.

The decomposed body of Anna Demers was discovered by sheriff’s deputies Monday after neighbors reported that the retired supply clerk had not been seen for several weeks. The body was found on the 2000 block of Old Bend Road, just east of El Cajon.

Deputies reported that Demers admitted to burying his mother’s body and that it was he who led investigators to the grave.

Bill Boyland, Demers’ attorney, said investigators believed that she was killed about Nov. 10. Deputy Dist. Atty. Steven Robinson reported that Demers has some history of mental problems, but declined to elaborate.

In arguing for a lower bail, Boyland told the judge that Demers was a lifelong county resident and that his only previous conviction was for a traffic offense in 1988, for which he was fined.

Demers has a bail review hearing set for Monday and a preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 15.