Russell Bishop, 51, appeared by videolink at the Old Bailey in central London on Friday, February 2, and pleaded not guilty to the murder of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway in October 1986.
The girls, both aged nine, were found in bushes at Wild Park, on the outskirts of Brighton.
Mr. Bishop, a roofer, appeared on a video link from Frankland prison in County Durham. He wore glasses and a black and white striped polo shirt.
Mr Justice Edis adjourned the case until October 15, when Bishop will face a six week trial at the Central Criminal Court in London.
The crime is one of the most notorious unsolved murder cases in Britain.
BREAKING: Russell Bishop appears in court accused of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway murders https://t.co/LEH91wuyva pic.twitter.com/8DnAMudkXf
— Eastbourne Indy (@eastbourne_indy) 2 February 2018
Huge Search Launched
The girls both lived on the Moulsecoomb estate in Brighton and their disappearance on October 9, 1986 led to a huge search, which led to the discovery of their bodies the following day.
At the time the murder investigation was the largest ever launched by Sussex Police.
The case was dubbed the Babes In The Wood case by the press.
The original 16th century English tale of the Babes In The Wood tells of two children who are abandoned in a wood and whose dead bodies are covered with leaves by robins.
But over the years the term has been used to describe any innocent children who go missing or are killed.
