Woman charged with killing Hollywood consultant Michael Latt pleads not guilty

LOS ANGELES — A woman accused of murdering a high-profile marketing consultant and social justice advocate in a film pleaded not guilty Monday.

Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, has entered a plea in Los Angeles Superior Court to charges of murder and burglary, with additional allegations that she used a firearm to commit the crimes.

Prosecutors say she knocked on the door of Michael Latt’s Los Angeles home, then forced her way inside and fatally shot him with a semi-automatic handgun on Nov. 27. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Latt, 33, was a well-known Hollywood consultant whose company focused on the social impact of film and entertainment. He had worked on projects with directors like Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay.

Prosecutors and court records say Michl stalked and threatened director AV Rockwell, targeting Latt because he was friends with Rockwell. Michl was the subject of several restraining orders from Rockwell.

Rockwell’s latest film “A Thousand and One,” starring Teyana Taylor, won the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Sundance Film Festival and earned her a Gotham Award for breakthrough director on the same night Latt was killed.

Michl could face life in prison if convicted.

Latt’s mother Michelle Satter, founder and director of the Sundance Institute, received an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work on January 10, just weeks after the murder. During the ceremony, Satter and the two directors she mentored and who presented her with the award, Coogler and Chloe Zhao, paid tribute to Latt.

“Michelle, you changed our lives, but I truly believe Michael was your greatest gift to the world,” Coogler said.

Satter said she wanted to share the award with her late son, who “led with love.”