Defense Mulls Plea Deal For Teen Accused Of Killing Girl On Prom Day In Milford, Conn.
MILFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- A possible plea deal was in the works Thursday for an accused teen killer in Milford, Connecticut.
Maren Sanchez, 16, was killed in a hallway at Jonathan Law High School in Milford on April 25, 2014, after rejecting an invitation to the prom by accused killer Christopher Plaskon, now 18.
As CBS2's Lou Young reported, Sanchez's family and friends were in court for a hearing on a plea deal for Plakson Thursday. Some of them wore purple, Sanchez's favorite color.
The murder took place hours before the school's junior prom. A witness saw Plaskon on top of Sanchez during the attack and tried unsuccessfully to pull him away, and another saw him discard a bloody knife, according to a police affidavit.
Plaskon, his clothes bloody, was taken to the principal's office, where an officer arrived and asked what happened. "I did it. Just arrest me,'' Plaskon replied, according to the officer.
Nearly two years later, an attorney for Sanchez's father said no plea deal should be offered. He said too much has been lost.
"I think he wants probably what he's never going to be able to find, which is a way to feel whole again," said Anthony Bonadies, attorney for Jose Sanchez.
Plakson is awaiting trial at the Manson Youth Institute in Connecticut, where he has been held for the past 20 months.
"He goes to class; he goes to programs; he does like everybody else," said defense attorney Ed Gavin. "They have cottages at Manson so he's with a group of other similarly situated individuals."
The defense had agreed to forgo a jury trial in exchange for a three-judge panel to hear a possible insanity defense. Now that defense attorneys have gotten a look at the state's mental evaluation of their client, their exploring the possibility of a plea to a lesser charge.
"He's charged with murder right now, and there's discussions -- as there are in any case -- as to what the person would plead guilty to and what the extent of punishment would be, and that's what's being discussed," said Ansonia-Milford State's Attorney Kevin Lawler.
Murder carries a sentence of 25 to 60 years in prison in Connecticut, while manslaughter tops out at 20 years.
The case is due back in court at the end of next month.
