from www.sfgate.com – James Mitchell who faces charges of beating his girlfriend to death at her Novato home and then kidnapping their baby daughter, has reportedly gone on a hunger strike while he sits in jail.

According to the Marin IJ, Mitchell is upset that the judge has refused him visitation rights with his young daughter, Samantha. His attorney, Terence Hallinan is quoted as saying, “he’s pretty depressed.” There is a Tuesday hearing scheduled to revisit the visitation issue.

The judge, Kelly Simmons, also denied Mitchell bail.

Mitchell is accused of beating Danielle Keller–the mother of Samantha–to death with a baseball bat on July 12 and then fleeing with their baby. He was apprehended in the Sacramento area and his daughter was unharmed.

The defendant is the son of Jim Mitchell, who along with his brother Artie, ran a multi-million dollar pornography business in San Francisco. Jim shot and killed Artie in Marin during a confrontation in 1991. Jim Mitchell died two years ago.