After postponements, waived hearings and Judge R. Douglas Holt removing himself due to a conflict of interest, former Eastern Arizona College basketball coach Timothy Martin Parmeter, 39, was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty to sexual conduct with a minor. Parmeter’s arraignment was in front of Gila County Superior Court Judge Peter Cahill in Payson.

Parmeter was arrested and booked into the Graham County Jail on April 11 after the Graham County Attorney’s office charged him with one count of sexual conduct with a minor.

The charge stems from an alleged two-year relationship with an EAC student that began when she was 16. The victim told police she and Parmeter had numerous sexual relations at various places, including his Quail Ridge home and school office. She said she was intimate with Parmeter the evening before he found the body of his estranged wife Paula and 2-year-old son Ryan in their garage. Paula and Ryan had expired from carbon monoxide poisoning in what police labeled as a suicide/homicide.

Parmeter received national attention after his story was posted on a CBS Sports Web site Jan. 9. The story chronicled the dissolution of Parmeter’s marriage to Paula and the murder-suicide she initiated with their son, Ryan.

Parmeter received an outpouring of emotional support from e-mails across the country (and locally) from those who read the article.

The Courier also posted a story Jan. 13 about a basketball scholarship in Ryan’s name. The first Ryan Wrigley Parmeter Memorial Scholarship was awarded to EAC sophomore guard Will Bynum during halftime of EAC’s game against Arizona Western on Jan. 9.

Parmeter was then fired from EAC on Jan. 17, and the Courier first broke the story of the accusations against Parmeter on Jan. 22.

Deputy Graham County Attorney Garrett Whiting is the prosecutor in the Parmeter case and traveled to Globe for the arraignment.

He previously told the Courier court appearances would take place in either Safford or Globe, whichever worked best for all of the parties. He added that a sentencing would most likely take place in Safford.

Whiting and Parmeter’s attorney appear to be close to a plea agreement. According to the calendar administrator for Judge Cahill, Parmeter’s next appearance will be for a change of plea hearing in front of Cahill on Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m. in Globe.

Whiting declined to comment on the case.