Bechler enters second not guilty plea

Sue Doyle

SANTA ANA -- Eric Christopher Bechler pleaded not guilty for the second

time on Friday to felony murder charges in the death of his wife during a

boating trip.

Bechler, 32, of Newport Beach, is accused of killing his wife Pegye

Bechler for financial gain. He was in court Friday for a second

arraignment at Santa Ana Superior Court. A pretrial hearing was scheduled

for June 12.

Authorities arrested Bechler in October after a two-year investigation.

Pegye Bechler disappeared in July 1997 during an outing at sea in a

rented 19-foot power boat.

Bechler has maintained that his wife fell overboard after a big wave

crashed into the boat. Authorities never found the body.

Investigators allege that Bechler staged the accident to collect a

multimillion-dollar life insurance policy.

The trial will probably begin in a few months, said Tori Richards, a

spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.