A woman arrested in July and charged with murder after human remains were found on the porch of a home in the Lakeshore neighborhood pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in Duval County court.
Shannon McCarthy, 43, has been charged with sending written threats, tampering with evidence, and the second-degree murder of Heather Sheppard, 43.
Property records show McCarthy owned the house on Colonial Avenue where unidentified human remains were found on the front porch.
An arrest report from earlier this year identified Sheppard as McCarthy’s domestic partner. Sheppard was reported missing by her family, and police found her decomposed body at McCarthy’s house. An autopsy revealed she was shot to death.
Online court records show a history of domestic disputes at the home between the two women. In January, McCarthy was arrested and charged with battery against Sheppard. She was set to have one final court appearance later this month ahead of a trial in that case.
A pretrial hearing on McCarthy’s murder charge was set for Sept. 12. A tentative date for the trial is Dec. 28.