By WMBD TV

MCLEAN COUNTY – A Georgia man pleaded not guilty Friday morning to allegations he shot a Richwoods High School student almost two years ago.

Tomiyale M. Anderson, 20, of Hampton, Ga., appeared in McLean County Circuit Court and entered his pleas on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the April 9, 2022, shooting death of 17-year-old Kanye A. Stowers who was attending a party in Bloomington that day

It’s rare for a defendant to plead guilty at one of the first court hearings — Friday’s hearing was his arraignment — as prosecutors often haven’t handed over all the evidence to the defense team yet.

Anderson will next appear in court for a pre-trial hearing on Feb. 26.

He faces at least 20 years and possibly up to 60 years in prison if convicted. He also faces lesser charges of attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Last week, Anderson was deemed to be a risk of flight as well as a “clear and present threat” to the community and thus, ordered held pending the outcome of his case. Both are benchmarks that judges now must use to decide if a person should be held in custody or released.

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