Man pleads to 3rd-degree murder in Philly slaying over backpack
A man has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in a south Philadelphia shooting death that authorities said stemmed from a botched backpack robbery.
Twenty-three-year-old Tyreek McNeil also pleaded guilty to robbery and firearms charges Wednesday in the September 2013 slaying of 22-year old Jose Aparicio-Jeronimo.
Police said McNeil rode up to the victim on a bicycle before dawn and demanded his backpack, and after a struggle fired three shots that hit the victim in the back.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that McNeil faces a 20- to 40-year prison term on the murder count.
But Judge Benjamin Lerner told him that his sentence would depend on his agreement to keep talking with prosecutors. Lawyers wouldn’t disclose the subject of the discussions.
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