CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two men possibly facing the death penalty in the fatal shootings of an ex-Augusta, Maine, couple pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of murder Tuesday in court appearances in northern California.

Robby Alan Beasley, 30, formerly of Augusta; and Elijah Bae McKay, 28, formerly of Gardiner, appeared separately Tuesday before Lake County Superior Court Judge Stephen Hedstrom. Both men entered not guilty pleas, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe.

Beasley and McKay are each charged with two counts of murder in the January 2010 slayings of Yvette and Frank Maddox, who investigators said moved from Augusta to Lake County, Calif., to work for Beasley in a marijuana growing operation.

The couple’s bodies were found in early March off Morgan Valley Road in Lower Lake, Calif.

Beasley and McKay face allegations of committing multiple murders in the first or second degree, committing the offenses with the intent to inflict great bodily injury on the victims, and using a 9 mm firearm.

Beasley faces an additional allegation that he had a prior 2007 felony conviction in Kennebec County for criminal threatening with a firearm.

Stephen Carter, Beasley’s attorney, said his client will appear for a preliminary hearing Jan. 18.

Grothe said McKay will appear April 5 to have his preliminary hearing set.

In court last month, Grothe said that, if convicted, the men face either the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole.

Grothe said Tuesday that the decision on how to pursue the case — either as capital murder or life in prison — will come after he confers with new Lake County District Attorney Don Anderson, who was officially sworn in Tuesday morning.

Beasley and McKay are being held in the Lake County Jail in Lakeport, Calif.

On Monday, the Kennebec Journal obtained a copy of an e-mail Beasley sent his grandmother, Charlotte Beasley, telling her and his father that he was to be in court Tuesday, and that “the charges should get dropped that day.”

He wrote, “I was in court a few weeks ago, some guy was here for 15 months and my lawyer got his charges dropped and he went home. I’m not stressed out about it and you should not worry. I’m innocent. This place falsely charges a lot of innocent people with out (sic) proof.”