A Minot man charged with the murder of Mark Ramon McMillan was scheduled to appear in North Central District Court on Tuesday, but the hearing was canceled after he filed to waive the preliminary hearing.

Delon Evan Davis, 46, Minot, filed a waiver of the hearing on Thursday, which was granted by Judge Douglas Mattson on Friday. Davis entered not guilty pleas for all four counts in the case, which include Class AA felony murder-adult victim; tampering with physical evidence and theft-possession-firearm, both Class C felonies; and providing false information to law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.

The charges against Davis stemmed from a missing person investigation after McMillan, 36, Minot, fell out of contact with family members in early April. Minot Police and the Ward County Sheriff’s Department announced on May 3 that foul play was being considered, after searches from initial leads indicated McMillan may have been in the Towner area.

The search for McMillan came to an end on July 2 after a search warrant was executed on a commercial building in Minot and a body later identified as McMillan’s was located in the building’s basement.

According to court documents, Davis was questioned by investigators on July 2 and claimed he shot Davis with a “shop gun” in self defense after an altercation arising from a dispute over stolen narcotics. Davis allegedly admitted to investigators he concealed McMillan’s body and disposed of the firearm at a nearby gas station.

Davis was arrested on July 18, after witness statements and crime scene analysis contradicted his claims of self defense, according to court documents. Davis is currently being held at the Ward County Detention Center on a $2 million bond due to concerns from Ward County prosecutors that he intended to flee the state to Florida. He is scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference on Monday, Nov. 4.