The four men charged in the fatal carjacking of a young lawyer outside an upscale New Jersey mall last year pleaded not guilty to felony murder and other charges in court Wednesday.
The suspects also face murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons charges in a six-count indictment handed up by an Essex County grand jury made public last month.
The men are due back in court in December.
Hanif Thompson, of Irvington, and Newark residents Karif Ford, Basim Henry and Kevin Roberts are accused in the Dec. 15 carjacking and killing of Dustin Friedland outside The Mall at Short Hills.
Authorities have said Friedland, a 30-year-old lawyer from Hoboken, was killed while returning to his car in the mall parking garage with his wife, Jamie Schare Friedland, after a shopping trip. The carjackers confronted the couple and Friedland was shot in the head, but his wife was unharmed.
The assailants drove off in the couple's silver Range Rover, which was found the next morning in Newark, about 10 miles from Short Hills. Prosecutors have said the couple was targeted solely because of the make of their vehicle.
Jamie Schare Friedland filed a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this year, seeking unspecified damages. The suit claims the mall owners reduced security to increase profits and first responders mishandled a call for help, allegations those parties deny.
Sheldon Dutes contributed to this report.
