2 PLEAD NOT GUILTY IN LANCASTER SLAYING.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - An ex-convict and a woman he was staying with at a Lancaster motel have pleaded not guilty to murdering a man who was found strangled in a home in a quiet, well-kept neighborhood.

Darrell Haynes, 37, and Kimberli Baxley, 33, are charged in the Feb. 14 slaying of Sean Spaniol, whom they had apparently met the previous night at a Lancaster bar and accompanied to his home.

``The victim had brought the two defendants into his home. We have no information that he knew them prior to that date,'' Deputy District Attorney Kelly Cromer said. ``It appears all three went to the victim's home in a taxicab together.''

Both defendants pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of murder, robbery and grand theft. Prosecutors amended the criminal complaint Wednesday to charge Baxley with murder.``After the case was filed, we obtained additional information that indicated that Baxley was involved in robbery and murder,'' Cromer said.

Haynes' attorney declined to comment, and Baxley's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Haynes was jailed on a parole hold with bail set at $2 million. Baxley was being held in lieu of $950,000 bail.

Cromer said the cab driver told investigators he picked up the victim, an African-American man and two women, one blond and one brunette, at the Britisher bar on West Avenue I at 2 a.m.``He remembered the victim, but he can't identify the other people. We believe the defendants were in the cab with the victim,'' Cromer said.

At a home on Kingtree Avenue, the victim, the other man and the blond woman got out, but only the victim and the other man returned to the cab, Cromer said.

The cab driver then dropped the two men and the remaining woman off at the victim's home on Vahan Court.

``They appeared to all be getting along when they were dropped off at the location,'' Cromer said.

Cromer said she did not know whether the defendants went to the victim's home intending to rob him.

Haynes and Baxley were arrested Feb. 23 at a Motel 6 on Avenue K, about two miles from the house on Vahan Court.

Their arrest came a day after detectives released to the news media a composite image of a man seen fleeing with a female companion from the ransacked home.

The couple were seen climbing over a backyard fence, carrying a pillow case believed to contain jewelry and other small items.

Cromer said a man walking a dog called sheriff's deputies.

``He saw them jump over a wall from a residence and land on the sidewalk in front of him. First one person, a male black, came over the wall, then a white pillowcase came over the wall,'' Cromer said. ``Then he saw the male pick up some items. A couple of things fell out of the pillowcase.

``The dog walker continued walking, and then saw a female sitting on the wall with the male encouraging her to jump down,'' Cromer said.

Responding deputies entered the house through the front door, which was unlocked, Cromer said. Spaniol was found dead in the master bedroom.

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

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