WILLMAR - A plea agreement has been reached for Robert Warwick, the 18-year-old facing two murder charges in connection with the death of his grandmother last year.
Warwick’s attorney, Daniel Mohs, confirmed Thursday that a plea deal has been made.
Mohs told the Tribune his client will plead guilty to one count of first-degree murder while committing a felony. An additional charge of premeditated first-degree murder will be dismissed.
A formal plea hearing before a judge is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Kandiyohi County District Court.
The tentative agreement comes just weeks before Warwick’s trial, which was set to begin July 21.
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Lila Warwick, 79, was found stabbed and strangled in her home on the east edge of Willmar last July. Three teenaged suspects, including her grandson, were arrested within days and charged in connection with her death.
Warwick is the last of the three defendants to go to trial. A motion by his attorney to have the case moved out of Kandiyohi County due to pre-trial publicity was turned down.
Two young men have already been sentenced. Brok Junkermeier, who turned 20 earlier this month, pleaded guilty in March to carrying out the killing. He is serving a life sentence without parole.
Devon Jenkins, now 17, pleaded guilty in December to aiding and abetting second-degree murder. He was sentenced in January to complete both the secure and non-secure program at Prairie Lakes Youth Programs, followed by probation and community service. Under the terms of Minnesota’s extended juvenile jurisdiction program, an adult sentence, of 15 years in prison was stayed but could be executed if he fails to comply with the juvenile sentence requirements.
Prosecutors alleged the three youths carried out the crime together and that Robert Warwick was reportedly the mastermind behind a plot to kill his grandmother for her money.
