Marcus Taczanowsky pleaded not guilty to criminal homicide charges Tuesday. He will now stand trial for allegedly murdering 34-year-old Jessie Gordon.

Police say Taczanowsky punched and kicked Gordon in the head on November 13 after he had been drinking. Police say it happened inside Gordon’s Westmont Borough apartment.

Investigators say Gordon died on November 22 from blunt force head trauma caused by a physical assault.

In court Tuesday, Gordon’s family and friends cried as witnesses described the events leading up to her death.

Gordon reportedly called her lifelong friend on the morning of November 13 and told her that Taczanowsky had beaten her. That friend says she called Gordon’s father who checked on his daughter and later called police.

However, when he got home from work that evening, Gordon’s parents told police that they weren’t able to contact Jessie. Her father said he used a ladder to climb into his daughter’s second story window, which is when he found her unconscious and breathing.

The defense asked the judge to throw out the murder charge because several hours had passed between the alleged assault and when Gordon was found unconscious.

A hospital report also noted that Gordon’s blood alcohol level was 0.24 when she was taken to the hospital on Nov. 13.

Taczanowsky will be formally arraigned on January 30. A trial date has not been set.