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Driver pleads in Hutchinson woman’s homicide

Craig, Jr.
Craig, Jr.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A Hutchinson man who drove two other people to the home of a woman who was killed has pleaded no contest in the case.

District Judge Tim Chambers on Tuesday found Billy Joe Craig Jr. guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder after Craig pleaded no contest in connection with the death of 27-year-old Jennifer Heckel.

Prosecutors alleged Craig drove the other men to Heckel’s home in June 2011 to commit a robbery.

Heckel was killed in what investigators say was a case of mistaken identity.

The Hutchinson News report the men meant to rob Kayla Rodriguez. Craig’s plea was for conspiracy to kill Rodriguez.

Another suspect, Charles Logsdon, was convicted of murder in November 2012. A third suspect, whose name has not been released, has not been charged.

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