NEW CASTLE, Ind. (AP) - A man accused of killing an Indiana woman whose body was found partially enclosed in a suitcase pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
Anthony Emerson Dailey pleaded guilty Thursday as part of a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to receive a 25-year prison term, The Star Press (https://tspne.ws/2n1AXNn ) reported.
Dailey was charged with murder in the death of 22-year-old Kirsten Sidwell. Her remains were found partially enclosed in a suitcase in April 2015 in a pond north of New Castle, a city nearly 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis. A pathologist ruled Sidwell had been strangled.
Dailey was arrested a few days after the body’s discovery. Testimony at a December 2015 hearing indicated an envelope with Dailey’s name on it was recovered from the suitcase.
Judge Kit Crane accepted the guilty plea. Sentencing is scheduled for April 19.
Dailey, who was an acquaintance of Sidwell, is also alleged to have made incriminating comments, some in the form of text messages, to a relative.
His trial, originally set for July 2015 and rescheduled five times, had been arranged for April 17. He had faced 55 years in prison if convicted of murder.
Henry County Prosecutor Joe Bergacs last week dismissed a second count, abuse of a corpse, stemming from Sidwell’s death.
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Information from: The Star Press, https://www.thestarpress.com
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