Man pleads not guilty in McDonald's parking lot deaths

<p>The man accused of running down five family members and killing a 2-year-old in the parking lot of a suburban Atlanta McDonald's restaurant pleaded not guilty Tuesday.</p><p>Lanny Perry Barnes could face the death penalty. Police say Barnes' car struck the five, hit the restaurant, then backed up and hit the victims again. Witnesses said they saw Barnes laughing behind the wheel.</p><p>Two-year-old Avery Nicole King of North Carolina died of her injuries. Her mother, Anita King, and Covington residents Stephanie Casola and her two sons Isaac and Jake, are recovering from their injuries.</p><p>Newton County Superior Court Judge Eugene Benton set a six month timetable for Barnes' attorneys to investigate their client's mental history, but said he may adjust it depending on what experts advise.</p><p>Chris Adams, Barnes' attorney, said it could take as long as a year to research Barnes' medical background. Barnes has a history of mental health issues and is suffering from leukemia, Adams said.</p><p>Adams told his client to plead the Fifth Amendment when the judge asked him whether he agreed with the way his lawyers were handling the case. Barnes answered: "I choose to remain silent, I choose to remain silent."</p><p>Barnes has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault stemming from the May incident.</p><p>At the time of the incident, Barnes' mother said her son had suffered depression for years. Prosecutor Ken Wynne said last month that a previously ordered mental evaluation on Barnes has been sealed pending trial.</p><p>Barnes was taken in early June to an undisclosed hospital, where he was diagnosed with leukemia. He was returned to the Newton County jail after being hospitalized for three months for cancer treatment.</p>