Son of Sweetie Pie’s owner pleads not guilty in nephew’s death

ST. LOUIS (AP) — An uncle pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges alleging he was involved in a murder-for-hire plot that led to the fatal shooting of his nephew, whose grandmother’s soul food restaurant was the setting for the reality show “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s.”

Andre Montgomery, 20, was shot to death in 2016 inside a home in the 3900 block of Natural Bridge Avenue near Fairground Park.

The slain man’s uncle, James Timothy Norman of Jackson, Miss., and an alleged co-conspirator, Terica Ellis of Memphis, Tenn., were arrested in August on charges alleging they were involved in a murder-for-hire plot that led to Montgomery’s death.

Norman, 41, entered the plea during a court appearance Tuesday, and Ellis pleaded not guilty at a hearing in September, KTVI reported.

Norman, who is a son of Sweetie Pie’s owner Robbie Montgomery, and the victim, who was her grandson, appeared on “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s,” which ran for five seasons on the Oprah Winfrey Network starting in 2011.

Norman became the sole beneficiary of his nephew’s life insurance policy in 2014, according to prosecutors. Montgomery was shot to death on March 14, 2016.