STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A 35-year-old man has taken a plea deal to avoid a possible life sentence for killing the man dating his ex-wife.
The Statesville Record & Landmark (https://bit.ly/2m88aWD ) reports that Jeffrey Gillespie pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the January 2015 shooting.
Gillespie was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison, but no more than 13 ½ years behind bars.
Prosecutors say Gillespie had been arguing with Robert Swedlund for months about Swedlund dating his ex-wife.
Authorities say Swedlund and Gillespie agreed to meet in a Troutman parking lot the night of the shooting, and a newspaper carrier later found Swedlund dead from a gunshot wound to the neck.
Gillespie’s lawyer says he brought a gun for protection and it accidentally went off.
Gillespie called his ex-wife after the shooting.
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Information from: Statesville Record & Landmark, https://www.statesville.com/index.htm
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