PORTSMOUTH — The woman who could face the death penalty for the Dec. 22 triple murder case in Franklin Furnace entered a not guilty plea during her arraignment in Scioto County Common Pleas Court.

Kara Garvin, 29, of 3407 Back Road, Franklin Furnace, appeared in the courtroom of Judge Howard H. Harcha III Friday afternoon.

Garvin made her plea through one of her attorneys, Charles Knight, of Pomeroy. Knight and William Eachus, of Gallipolis, were appointed by Harcha to represent Garvin. Both attorneys are licensed to try capital crimes in the state of Ohio.

Garvin faces multiple counts in the shooting deaths of Ed Mollett, 46, Juanita Mollett, 43, and their daughter, Christina Mollett, 20.

The young woman turned herself into authorities Dec. 22, hours after the bodies of the three were found at the couple’s trailer on Snook Road. Authorities have said all three appeared to have died from gunshot wounds.

The 6-year-old grandson of the couple was in the trailer at the time of the shootings and ran to a neighbor for help.

Garvin faces 18 counts including aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, theft of drugs and tampering of evidence. The same grand jury indicted Garvin on a separate 8-count indictment on charges that include attempted murder, aggravated burglary and robbery in an incident that occurred Nov. 26 involving other members of the Mollett family.

Paul J. Balmer, the man authorities have called Garvin’s live-in boyfriend, was also indicted in the Nov. 26 incident. Balmer faces an 8-count indictment including the attempted murder of Daniel Mollett.

Balmer had been sought since the murders as a person of interest by Scioto County authorities. He was arrested on Dec. 28, in Clay County, Fla., on a drug trafficking warrant.

He was brought back to Ohio following a Jan. 8, 2009, extradition hearing and is lodged in the Scioto County Jail. No date has been set for his arraignment.

Pat Apel, first assistant prosecuting attorney, said after Friday’s hearing that the prosecutor’s office is reviewing evidence concerning Balmer and the December murders to present it possibly to a grand jury.

Members of Garvin’s family appeared at the arraignment but had no comment for the media.

After the hearing Knight said his client has denied any involvement in the homicide, including being at the scene of the crime.

“I have had an opportunity to talk with Kara and we are waiting to receive discovery,” Knight said. “I presume her to be innocent.”

Apel had no comment as to whether the 6-year-old apparent eyewitness would be called to testify. Knight said in Ohio law one of the criteria for a witness to be competent is if he or she is over the age of 10. He thought a hearing outside the jury’s presence may occur before the possibility of the young boy’s testifying.

At her arraignment Garvin was held for the murders without bond. A bond of $200,000 was set for the attempted murder indictment.

A date for the preliminary hearing in Garvin’s case will be set in the next two weeks, Apel said. He estimated that it could be between six months to a year before the case goes to trial.