Sean Higgins, the man who is charged with the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, pleaded not guilty to the charges in a New Jersey court on Tuesday.
On Tuesday afternoon in Salem County, NJ, Sean Higgins, the man charged with the deaths of former NHL players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, rejected a 35-year plea deal.
Instead, he pleaded not guilty regarding the charges of two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, and one count each of tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene.
It's been a month since Higgins was indicted on those charges on Dec. 11. Now, the accused requests a jury trial. If convicted, he could end up facing up to 60 years in prison, almost double the plea deal offer.
Unfortunately, the Gaudreau family, which had just welcomed Matthew's first child with his widow Madeline in December, will now have to endure a trial.
Considering the wounds from the Aug. 29 incident have yet to heal, tributes to the former Calgary Flames superstar continue to pour in.
The Ohio State Buckeyes women's hockey team recently honored Johnny by wearing his Columbus Blue Jackets jerseys to their outdoor game at Wrigley Field on Jan. 4.
Higgins is scheduled to reappear in court on Feb. 4.
