LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Lincoln man has pleaded no contest to attempted manslaughter after he beat another man, who died five days later.
Mark Hietbrink, 49, was originally charged with manslaughter and first-degree assault in the death of Jonathan Olson in October 2019. Prosecutors agreed to the reduced charges in exchange for Hietbrink’s plea, The Lincoln Journal World reported.
Chief Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda ruled Olson died Oct. 16, 2019, from blunt force trauma to his head and associated medical complications after a physical assault.
Olson reported being assaulted on Oct. 11. Doctors said he suffered serious internal head injuries that required several surgeries. He suffered from heart disease and had undergone a heart transplant.
Police said Olson and Hietbrink had a relationship with the same woman and Olson was beaten when he went to Hietbrink’s home to retrieve her property.
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