EL CAJON, Calif. -- The ex-husband of a Santee woman accused of fatally stabbing her in the driveway of her home pleaded not guilty Monday to murder charges that could lead to the death penalty if he's convicted.

Frank Weaver, 60, is accused of killing Maureen Weaver, 50, in the 10400 block of Strathmore Drive on May 22. He also is charged with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait.

The woman, who worked for an insurance company in Kearny Mesa, divorced the defendant in the late-1990s. They had a son who is 10 years old.

A neighbor walking her dog found Maureen Weaver stabbed to death.

Deputy District Attorney Chantal de Mauregne said Weaver stabbed his ex-wife twice in the neck, and she died on the spot.

Weaver was arrested four days later in Meridian, Idaho, when someone called police to report a "suspicious" man in a minivan next to vacant trailer.

El Cajon Superior Court Judge Patricia Cookson denied Weaver bail and set a readiness conference for June 26. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 30.