A U.S. citizen accused of murdering a South Korean college student nearly two decades ago denied the charges Thursday.

Arthur Patterson, who is suspected of stabbing college student Cho Joong-pil multiple times at a Burger King in the popular foreigner district of Itaewon in central Seoul in 1997, denied the charges, saying Korean-American Edward Lee committed the crime. Lee was also at the scene.

"The crime was committed without a motive or purpose, which is only understandable when done by a hallucinating person," said Oh Byung-joo, a lawyer representing Patterson, citing Edward Lee's record of drug abuse.

Lee was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by lower courts in 1998, but was acquitted by the Supreme Court the following year for a lack of evidence.

At the time, Patterson, who is half Korean, was in Seoul as a dependent of a civilian worker with the U.S. military. The 35-year-old was under investigation when he fled the country in 1999. His departure was made possible after law enforcement authorities mistakenly did not extend his foreign travel ban.

Patterson was indicted for the murder in November 2011 and was extradited last month to South Korea.

The next hearing is set for Oct. 22. (Yonhap)