James Anthony Martin, the accused murderer of a Harvard graduate student nearly 24 years ago, pled not guilty to first degree murder in an arraignment yesterday.

Martin was allegedly responsible for the shooting death in Cambridge of Edward Paulsen, then 28, in a botched drug deal in September 1976.

Canadian authorities arrested Martin in Montreal Saturday, and Cambridge and state police transported him to the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) Tuesday evening for the arraignment.

"We are pleased to bring this defendant back to face the charges he should've faced in '76," D.A. Martha Coakley said.

At a press conference Monday, Coakley credited the CPD with "great detective work."

Martin was in jail in Canada under an alias from 1991 to 1996 on drug-related charges.

Police said it was no coincidence that Martin had finally been caught near the home of his illegitimate children around the holidays.

"The illegitimate children he had gave a focus," said Cambridge Sergeant Patrick Nagle. "We had someone sitting on those houses through the holidays."