Teen twin sisters charged with murdering their mothering last January have pled not guilty as part of a new case filed recently in Rockdale Superior Court.

Defense attorneys for Jasmiyah and Tasmiyah Whitehead, both 17, waived formal arraignment on Sept. 8. A motions hearing is set for Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. in Judge Sidney L. Nation’s courtroom.

The twins were arrested May 2010 and accused of beating and stabbing to death Jarmecca “Nikki” Whitehead, 34, at their Conyers home in Bridle Ridge Walk. The girls contend they discovered their mother’s bloody body that January afternoon when they returned home from school. They flagged down a deputy who was in the neighborhood on another matter for help.

The girls were reindicted by a grand jury in early August to start things over so that the case can go to trial more quickly. They are facing aggravated assault, malice murder and felony murder charges, which are the same felony charges they were indicted under originally in mid July 2010. 

Currently the twins are being held separately in Rockdale and Newton county jails. They will have a jury trial together.