Denk heads to court murder cold case

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The man accused of killing a 16-year-old family friend more than two decades ago had his initial court appearance Friday.

Rodney Denk, who stands accused of killing Amy Weidner in 1989 , walked the long hallway to the Marion County courtroom Friday morning with nothing to say to 24-Hour News 8's crew.

A not guilty plea was entered, and he asked for a public defender.

Prosecutors said Denk wasn't a suspect until he gave himself away.

Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson said the evidence was on the wall of the crime scene of the Terrace Avenue home from the day of the murder in the form of a bloody palm print.

"Which you might say is a pretty good clue," Robinson said. "It just took all these years to determine who the palm print belonged to."

Police recently reopened the case, and Denk was one of the people they wanted to talk to because he was a family friend. But prosecutors said he rented a car and ran instead of meeting with police. He was arrested July 1.

"If it hadn't been for Mr. Denk not showing up to talk to the officer and getting his suspicion aroused, we probably wouldn't be here today," Robinson said.

Prosecutors said after Denk didn't show up, they compared the bloody palm print from the 1989 crime scene with Denk's prints from a 1997 case. They arrested him after they say those prints matched.