Levi Aron, accused of killing and dismembering 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, pleads not guilty

Accused killer Levi Aron was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court


















The accused butcher of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky pleaded not guilty Thursday to killing and dismembering the boy.

Levi Aron was also declared fit to stand trial, though his lawyer insisted the suspect had mental health issues.

"We believe him to have some psychiatric disorders and I believe the evaluators concurred with that," said lawyer Pierre Bazile.

The defense team said they will still explore the possibility of an insanity defense, which has a different legal standard than being fit for trial.

Court records show Aron made a series of bizarre statements after he was arrested for killing the Borough Park boy last month.

"I'm famous," he told police.

The suspect, who is Jewish, also told cops he doesn't keep kosher. He was hungry and told police a meal from McDonald's would be fine. Aron eventually settled on Chinese food.

In a chilling written confession to the July 12 slaying, Aron, of Kensington, Brooklyn, recounted in neat type how he "panicked" upon seeing fliers about the missing Orthodox boy.

"I went for a towel to smother him," he wrote. "He fought back a little bit until eventually he stopped breathing."

The Medical Examiner's office determined the boy was also given a fatal cocktail of drugs.

Aron, 35, told cops he was hearing hearing voices.

"The voices are telling him to take his own life for what he did," police said.

During his interrogation, Aron was asked if he'd ever seen another missing Brooklyn boy, Patrick Alford, who vanished from foster care on January 2010.

"I have never seen this child," he replied, according to a police report. "I wish I knew what happen to him."

Aron was shackled and dressed in orange jail garb during his court appearance Thursday. His head was bowed.

He didn't speak.

His lawyers said they will likely seek a change of venue because "it will be incredibly difficult to get a fair trial in Brooklyn" following leaks of Aron's alleged confession.

His next appearance was scheduled for Oct. 14.

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes released a statement following the brief hearing, vowing to "move forward expeditiously to bring his case to trial."

He added: "I want to reaffirm that this case will go to trial and that there are absolutely no circumstances which would lead me to accept a plea bargain."