MURDER SUSPECT PLEA Judge To Decide If Murder Suspect Can Plead To Lesser Charge
Reported by: Rick Lord
Web Producer: Heath Harrison
Reported: Feb. 15, 2013 8:34 PM EST
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Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
A judge is now deciding if he will allow a Charleston murder suspect to plead guilty to a lesser charge in a killing last October.
Richard Hilliard is accused of shooting David Booker in a drug related homicide near our studios here at Eyewitness News.
The voluntary manslaughter deal would carry a five-to-15 year prison sentence.
The judge is reviewing the investigative report before deciding if he'll accept the deal.
A prosecutor said it appeared to be a drug-related robbery complicated by east-west gang rivalry.
Hilliard claimed he was trying to keep "A-3", the third man in the car from being shot.
The prosecutor says Booker's two prior homicide convictions, a gun, and his known drug reputation would have made a first degree murder conviction unlikely. So far, no charges have been filed against "A-3", Andre Williamson the third man who Hilliard puts in the car where the shooting took place. The plea hearing is set to continue next Thursday when the judge is expected to announce his ruling.
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Rick Lord
