The Long Island man accused of murdering three people in Tenafly entered a plea of not guilty and requested a public defender Wednesday.

Kang-Hyuk Choi has been charged with killing 27-year-old Han Il Kim, 47-year-old Yoo Bok Kim and 70-year-old Doo Soo Seo. Choi is being held without bail.

At the arraignment, Choi wore a cast on his right arm for injuries police say he suffered while struggling with his victims. Choi told a judge he understands his charges and entered his plea before prosecutors detailed the gruesome attacks.

Prosecutors read a statement Choi gave to police in California before his extradition to New Jersey. In the statement, Choi describes stabbing Han Il Kim in the neck after a dispute over money. The statement goes on to detail how Choi hid Kim's body and then waited in the victim's room for hours plotting his next move.

Choi allegedly told police he stabbed Yoo Bok Kim to death the next morning when she saw her son's hand sticking out of the closet in which his corpse was hidden. After her murder, Choi allegedly ran downstairs and murdered Seo, her brother-in-law.

Choi was picked up days after the deaths at a casino near Los Angeles with thousands of dollars worth of chips on him. Choi is reputedly a hardcore gambler and officials have not said if his gambling activities may have motivated the murders.

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