Girl Didn’t Kill Her Mother, Attorney Says

A 17-year-old girl accused of murdering her mother had nothing to do with the crime, her lawyer said Monday. She was arrested last month in Louisiana along with a male companion.

Rachel Mullenix and Ian Allen, 21, are charged in the death of Barbara Mullenix, 56, whose body was found Sept. 13 wrapped in a blanket and floating off a dock near the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. The pair appeared in Orange County Superior Court Monday and will be arraigned Oct. 20. Bail is set at $2 million apiece.

“She’s been very clear on the fact that she had nothing to do with the death of her mother,” said defense attorney David R. Cohn. “She was out of state with this guy against her will.”