JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - A third defendant in a Joplin home-invasion case involving the fatal shooting of a coconspirator has pleaded guilty to felony murder and burglary counts.
The Joplin Globe (https://bit.ly/2nAlIud ) reports that 39-year-old Shawn Hency of Carthage pleaded guilty Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court to second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree burglary as part of a plea deal.
Joplin police say Hency was one of four men who committed two home invasions in March 2015. One of the suspects, 32-year-old Michael Dean, was shot and killed during the second break-in. A guest at the home fatally shot Dean in what police say was a justified shooting.
Hency’s plea would limit the prison time he could receive to 12 years for the murder conviction and 15 years for each burglary count.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4.
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Information from: The Joplin (Mo.) Globe, https://www.joplinglobe.com
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