One of the men accused in the 2016 murder of Ted Timmons has pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a New Mexico police officer.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Jesse D. Hanes entered the plea Wednesday in state district court in Las Cruces. The plea was part of an agreement with prosecutors in which six other charges were dismissed. The plea came a day after Hanes agreed to plead guilty to federal firearms and carjacking charges related to the events following the fatal shooting of officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in August of 2016. Sentencing by the state in that case will take place following federal sentencing. Hanes faces life in prison without the possibility of parole in both the state and federal cases.
Hanes is also one of three accused in the July 2016 murder of Theodore Timmons who was found shot to death at his home in Londonderry following a robbery. A female in that case, Whitney Kuhn, has already be sentenced for her part the crime. Hanes and his accused accomplice, James D. Nelson, are not expected to be brought back to Ohio until the New Mexico case is complete.