Monrovia Man Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Missing Girlfriend

MONROVIA, CA -- A Monrovia man pleaded not guilty today to a capital murder charge that alleges he killed his girlfriend, who disappeared in late July and whose body has not been found.

Robert Anthony Camou, 28, is charged with the slaying of Amanda Kathleen Custer, whom sheriff's homicide investigators believe was taken by Camou against her will the morning of July 29.

The murder charge includes the special-circumstance allegation of killing a witness, along with an allegation that he was out on bail when he committed the crime.

Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Camou, who was initially charged May 29 with one felony count each of first-degree burglary with a person present, injuring a girlfriend and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, and one misdemeanor count of battery.

Those charges stemmed from an April 22 attack in which Camou allegedly tried to strangle his girlfriend and threatened her with a Taser, according to Deputy District Attorney Melanie Drew.

Camou allegedly chased the woman into a nearby residence where she had sought help, and battered an elderly man who tried to intervene, according to the District Attorney's Office.

He was free on bail in connection with the earlier charges at the time of the woman's killing, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Witnesses said they saw Camou load the woman's ``lifeless'' body into the trunk of a Toyota Prius, said sheriff's homicide Lt. Scott Hoglund.

Sheriff's detectives say blood was found in the Monrovia residence, and blood drops were found in the cargo hatch of the Prius, along with a digging tool.

Camou was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles July 30, following a nearly five-hour standoff with authorities, but there was no sign of Custer. He is jailed without bail while awaiting his next appearance Jan. 6 in a Pasadena courtroom.