Las Vegas- A bodybuilder accused of killing his live-in personal assistant says he made bad decisions the night Melissa James died, but he is not guilty of her murder. Craig Titus says he and his wife Kelly Ryan are not — quote — “horrific monsters.”

Titus and Ryan were arrested in December. They’re charged with beating James, putting her body in the trunk of their car and then burning the vehicle in the desert.

Titus has told police James died of a drug overdose and that he burned her body to avoid negative publicity. Titus is a past place-winner of international Mr. Olympia competitions. Ryan is a fitness champion and Ms. Olympia runner-up.

Titus fired his legal team this week because they had kept him from speaking to the media about the high-profile case. He says he wants to get the true story out.