A Norridgewock man accused in the shooting death of his girlfriend’s son pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Daniel V. Markey, appearing via videoconference from the Somerset County Jail in Madison, enters a not guilty plea during his arraignment Wednesday. Screenshot from Zoom

Daniel V. Markey, 59, entered the plea to one count of intentional or knowing murder, appearing in court from the Somerset County Jail in Madison during a brief arraignment held via videoconference.

Markey is accused of killing Christopher Nickerson, who was 39, according to court records.

A Somerset County grand jury indicted him on the charge when it met in April, court records show.

The indictment alleges Markey used a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver to kill Nickerson on March 1 in Norridgewock.

Markey was arrested that day and has since been held at the county jail without bail.

Markey’s court-appointed attorneys, Stephen Smith and Connor Herrold of Steve Smith Trial Lawyers in Augusta, so far have declined to comment on the case.

Daniel V. Markey, center, appearing via video conference from the Somerset County Jail in Madison, enters a not guilty plea to a murder charge during his arraignment Wednesday. At left is one of Markey’s attorneys, Stephen Smith. At right is Superior Court Justice Daniel Mitchell in a courtroom at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. Screenshot from Zoom

On Wednesday, Smith said a request for a hearing on bail would be considered on a day-to-day basis.

The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office had responded the morning of March 1 to a report of a shooting on the River Road and found a man, later identified as Nickerson, dead, the Maine State Police said previously.

The home at the scene of the shooting, 471 River Road, is owned by Markey and his girlfriend, Kathleen Nickerson, according to a police affidavit filed in court supporting Markey’s arrest.

Christopher Nickerson is Kathleen Nickerson’s son, according to the affidavit, written by state police Detective Cpl. James Moore.

Moore wrote  that Kathleen Nickerson told detectives her son and Markey had a verbal and physical scuffle before the alleged shooting.

Kathleen Nickerson told detectives that after the fight, Markey left for a period of time and then returned. When he did, she saw Christopher Nickerson put up his hands and she heard four or five gunshots before he fell to the ground, and she called 911, the affidavit says.

Investigators believe Markey then drove a pickup truck to the Skowhegan municipal building at 225 Water St., where the town’s police department used to be located. Markey turned himself in to Somerset County sheriff’s Deputy Jack LePage.

Markey told LePage that Christopher Nickerson “attacked him and was pounding on him, so he shot him,” Moore wrote.

In an interview at the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, Markey told state police detectives a slightly different version of events than what Kathleen Nickerson said, according to the affidavit.

Markey told detectives that after the initial altercation with Christopher Nickerson, he left and then returned to the home because he wanted to retrieve his belongings from inside before leaving. He said he was not angry with Nickerson, but was embarrassed, according to the affidavit.

“When asked if he was thinking clearly, (Markey) said he did not know,” Moore wrote in the affidavit. “(Markey) stated he grabbed the gun so that (Nickerson) would not ‘finish him off’ and later said he was in fear for his life.”

Markey told detectives he entered the residence and saw Nickerson “charging at him” with his right hand in a fist, but with no weapons. Markey said he then fired the gun twice, before leaving and driving to the old Skowhegan police station on Water Street.

If the case goes to trial, it would likely be scheduled in August 2026.

Superior Court Justice Daniel Mitchell, who is assigned the case, set the next status conference in the case for September.