MILWAUKEE – The man accused of killing Milwaukee transgender woman Cashay Henderson pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday, June 15.

Cordell Howze, 33, had pleaded not guilty in May. He is due back in court July 14 for a doctor’s report return.

The new plea comes a day after Henderson’s family sought hate crime charges in the case; Howze is currently charged with first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon.

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Firefighters found Henderson, 31, inside her apartment near 29th and Villard on Feb. 26 with a gunshot wound while they were responding to a fire. Prosecutors said Howze was captured by surveillance cameras in the area near the apartment at the time Henderson was killed.

At the scene of the fire, investigators found an unfired 9mm cartridge and items that indicated arson – such as a gas can. Henderson was unconscious and not breathing. Investigators noted there was a dead snake on scene. The fire was ruled arson. An autopsy revealed Henderson was shot twice. Her death was ruled a homicide.

On Feb. 27, the day after Henderson was found dead, the friend told investigators Howze showed up at his home with a gun that had a laser beam. He said Howze pointed the weapon at his wife’s head, describing Howze as “acting strange” with a “blank stare” on his face, the complaint states. He said Howze showed him a video that appeared to show a dead woman with blood on her head. Also in the video was an aquarium with a snake in it – consistent with the snake found dead in Henderson’s apartment after the fire.

According to the criminal complaint, Howze told his friend: “I caught the body of a disgusting (expletive) tran.” His friend knew this to mean Howze had killed a transgender person.

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Afterward, Howze said he put his phone in airplane mode, so the police couldn’t track it. He told his friend he wanted to kill “several other people.” His friend told him to leave because “he was pointing the gun at people,” the complaint states.

Howze’s mother told investigators that after the murder, Howze gave her a Gucci purse and a Rolex watch – items that belonged to Henderson, according to prosecutors.

At Howze’s grandmother’s house, prosecutors said there were three pieces of mail belonging to Henderson, “consistent with the evidence that Howze went to her house, killed her, attempted to burn the house and stole her purse, watch and mail.”