Plea deal accepted in March murder

A man who rejected a plea deal last month in connection with a fatal stabbing changed his mind and will spend the next year in prison after pleading guilty today.

Christopher R. Harper, 28, had been charged with second-degree murder following the March 3 stabbing death of 19-year-old Michael “Mickey” Lyng. However, prosecutors agreed with assistant public defender Al Rossi to allow Harper to plead guilty to two felony charges of riot.

Superior Court Judge Annette Plese approved the deal this morning and accepted Harper’s plea. As a result, Harper was sentenced to 24 months in jail, but that time will be cut in half because Harper will be credited for having already spent about a year in jail awaiting trial.

Rossi said he believed he could have won Christopher Harper’s acquittal. But if he didn’t, Harper would have faced a much longer prison sentence.

Read the rest of Thomas Clouse’s story by clicking the link below.

Past coverage:

Accused killer backs out of deal

Man gets 6 years in fatal stabbing

Bloody knife could hold clue to March murder