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46-year-old pleads guilty in fatal shooting to avoid death penalty
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John Hemmers told Judge Donald Mosley why he was in District Court Wednesday.
"I took a man's life," the 46-year-old said as he stood shackled and dressed in prison garb with two long braids of black hair stretching from his head down his back.
Hemmers pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and robbery with use of a deadly weapon in the 2004 shooting death of Anthony Wayne Helton, 38.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty against Hemmers before they agreed to the plea deal.
As part of the guilty plea, prosecutors and defense attorneys Gabriel Grasso and Monti Levy agreed to a sentence of 18 to 45 years in prison, though Mosley will have the final say at a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 21.
Off-roaders found Helton's body in November 2004 near Laughlin.
According to a grand jury testimony, Helton was killed by a single gunshot to the back of his head. Authorities alleged Hemmers stole Helton's white 2003 Ford F-350 pickup after the slaying.
Helton was dating Hemmers' sister at the time, according to grand jury testimony.
Hemmers has a lengthy criminal history involving drug and alcohol abuse, according to court documents. He was arrested in Arizona in July 2005. Authorities believe he spent some of his time during his nine months on the run hiding in the Mexican border town of Cuevas.
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Just another plea bargain to make our DA, David Rogers, look better when he touts his conviction record at re-election time. Why try a criminal and risk losing the conviction when you can arrange a plea, and get a guaranteed conviction.
People like a high conviction rate, but the DA never tells them that most are bargained down from what they should have been.