Huntington Beach : Pair Plead Not Guilty in Kidnaping and Murder

A transient couple who are accused of kidnaping and murdering a 19-year-old Huntington Beach woman last November pleaded not guilty to those charges Monday in Orange County Central Municipal Court.

James Gregory Marlow, 30, and Cynthia Lynn Coffman, 24, are charged with the Nov. 1, 1986, murder of Lynel Murray, who was kidnaped from the dry cleaning store where she worked. She was found gagged and strangled in a Huntington Beach motel the next day. In addition to kidnaping and murder, the two are charged with kidnaping for robbery, burglary and rape, Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard F. Toohey said.

Toohey said four of the charges involve special circumstances, which means the defendants could face the death penalty if convicted.

Coffman and Marlow are being held in San Bernardino County Jail without bail on charges of kidnaping and murdering Corinna D. Novis, 20, an insurance clerk, who was abducted Nov. 7 from a Redlands shopping mall parking lot.

“We’re cooperating with officials in San Bernardino County in an effort to see that both individuals are brought to justice as soon as possible,” Toohey said.

Their court appearance Monday was the first time Coffman and Marlow had been in Orange County since they allegedly kidnaped Murray, Toohey said.