Accused Killer of Warren Woman Pleads 'Not Guilty'

William Parisio stood behind thick glass in a blue jumpsuit and entered a "not guilty" plea Friday morning in the .

Parisio was standing before Superior Court Judge Joan Robinson Gross in his first court appearance since being  in Schmidt's death. She was found in the basement of Pairisio's parents' Greaves Place home in Cranford. 

A disheveled Parisio shuffled upstairs without handcuffs or leg irons as he was escorted by court deputies into the prisoner's holding area in the courtroom, which is separated by safety glass. His 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame was covered in an oversized jumpsuit, with "Inmate U.C. Jail" printed across the back and "INMATE" down his right leg.

Parisio's public defender, Elizabeth Ramsey, entered a not guilty plea and waived a reading of the charges. The hearing, which lasted no more than five minutes, was delayed by a "code blue" incident at the jail, which precluded all prisoners from being moved within the Union County Jail, where Parisio is being held on $400,000 bail.

"There is to be no contact with the family and the family must be notified when he is released," Robinson Gross said. Ramsey didn't publicly say whether she was seeking a bail reduction. She had no comment after the hearing.

As Parisio slumped down onto the bench in the holding  area, he half-heartedly tried to hide his face from news reporters and photographers. 

Parisio's only comments were simple "yes, ma'am" when asked about his address, and whether his listed residence was a house. His parents, Joseph and Dianne, were not present at the hearing. Aside from members of the media, only one other person attended the hearing.

The woman, who didn't want to be identified, is an employee of the county jail and said she was attending the hearing because "I have a daughter who is going to college next year and I want to be aware of what is going on on campuses."

No future court dates were arranged at the hearing, so Parisio will continue to be held in the county jail until his next appearance. According to witnesses, Parisio was taken out of his family's home Sunday afternoon in restraints on a gurney and transported to Overlook Hospital in Summit for observation.

Friends and neighbors have labeled the accused killer, who until this semester had been on schedule to graduated from Rutgers University, as a gentle but troubled young man. In published reports, his mother said that Parisio had been on the drug, Bath Salts, earlier this year and was released from a Florida drug rehabilitation facilty two weeks prior to his arrest. She also said that he was scheduled to enter a Monmouth County facility this past Monday. Parisio has been battling bipolar disorder for several years.

Bath Saltsare the new "in" drug, which has gained popularity in the United States in the last six months and can be purchased in smoke shops and convenience stores. The drug provides a euphoric high to users, including such effects as staying up for up to 36 hours, behaving frantically, having a high concentration levels and sexual stimulation. The name is a nickname due to the drug's similar appearance to the bath product. A bill has been introduced in the New Jersey legislature to outlaw the active ingredient, MDVP, in the state. MDVP has already been outlawed in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Idaho.

 in Watchung. Schmidt and Parisio had dated for six years, after meeting through mutual friends. The pair, who were both Rutgers students, also interned together at Sirius Radio. , worked in the station's human resources department, while Parisio worked on Howard Stern's show.

Schmidt was widely regarded as a "go-getter" who was enrolled in a five-year dual bachelor's and master's degree program in human-resources management. She was sticking with Parisio despite his continuing battle with substance abuse.