While every defendant has the right to stand trial with a jury deciding their fate, many opt to avoid a trial by pleading guilty.
While some defendants profess to want to take responsibility for their crimes, others admit the evidence against them is too significant to overcome, and others will reach an agreement with prosecutors in an effort to secure a more lenient sentence than they might have received after a jury’s verdict.
Bryan Kohberger
Bryan Kohberger was facing a potential death sentence when he reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. Kohberger had already won a change of venue and his trial was scheduled to start just weeks after he announced he wanted to plead guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Kohberger didn’t offer any reasoning or motive for the crimes before he was sentenced to four consecutive life terms plus ten years.
Jake Haro
Jake Haro had no deal in place with prosecutors when he suddenly pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, child endangerment and filing a false police report in the disappearance of his 7-month-old son, Emmanuel Haro. Jake was hoping for mercy at the hands of the court when he pleaded guilty, but the judge said his plea failed to outweigh “the horror of the circumstances” as he handed down a sentence of 25 years to life. Jake’s wife, Rebecca Haro, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Emmanuel’s disappearance.
Stephan Sterns
One day before his sex-crimes trial was set to begin, Stephan Sterns changed his not-guilty plea in both cases he faced involving his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter. Acknowledging the mountain of evidence against him, Sterns pleaded no contest to the first-degree premeditated murder of Madeline Soto and pleaded guilty to 20 sex crimes charges. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Sterns in the murder case; they withdrew the request as part of the plea agreement, which required Sterns to serve a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kathryn Restelli
Kathryn Restelli was sentenced to 1-15 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and conspiracy charges in her husband’s death. Kathryn admitted to conspiring with her brother, Kevin Ellis, and their mother, Tracey Grist, to lure her husband, Matthew Restelli, to Grist’s home, where he was shot to death. Ellis and Grist both have pleaded not guilty and claim they were acting in self-defense the night Matthew was killed.
Christopher Scholtes
Christopher Scholtes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and intentional/knowing child abuse after leaving his 2-year-old daughter, Parker, in a hot car for hours. In a deal with prosecutors, Scholtes agreed to serve 20-30 years behind bars, but he was found after taking his own life hours before he was due in court for his sentencing hearing.
Andrew Lester
Andrew Lester, 86, died of natural causes days after he pleaded guilty in the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl, a black honor student who rang the wrong doorbell by mistake. Lester pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and criminal action, which carried a potential sentence of one to seven years. At his final court appearance, where he pleaded guilty, Lester told the judge he was in poor health, exacerbated by the stress of the charges.
Gary Busey
Actor William Gary Busey was sentenced to two years of probation for fourth-degree sexual contact after he inappropriately touched a woman during a Monster Mania convention in 2022. Busey appeared virtually at the hearings where he pleaded guilty and was later sentenced; those hearings were marked by confusion, as he professed difficulty hearing, began drinking soda in court, and answered some questions incorrectly.
Taylor Schabusiness
Taylor Schabusiness was already sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole when she pleaded no contest to reduced charges after an incident behind bars where she threw a tray at a corrections officer. She appeared shackled to a chair at her sentencing and when she changed her plea to no contest, after lunging at her attorney during a preliminary hearing in the case.
