ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt (AP) - A Vermont man who pleaded guilty to killing another man now says he didn’t do it and was covering for others when he agreed to a plea deal.
Allen Draper’s attorney filed a motion on his behalf this week to withdraw his guilty plea to first-degree murder, assault and robbery and giving false information to police in the 2018 death of Tim Persons in St. Johnsbury, the Caledonian Record reported.
“Mr. Draper felt coerced by certain witnesses to ‘take the wrap’ in order to protect them from liability,” wrote defense attorney Rob Sussman.
Police said Draper told them he’d gone to Person’s home, demanding money to buy drugs. Draper told police when Persons refused, he hit him in the head with a radiator pipe and set his home on fire, authorities said.
Draper knew Persons from volunteer work Persons did at the Covered Bridge Therapeutic Communities halfway house where Draper was living, police said.
The state medical examiner determined that Persons died from blunt force trauma to the head and smoke inhalation.
Draper had originally pleaded not guilty and in May. Sussman told the court he suspected that Draper’s confession may have been coerced by police and said he planned to challenge it at trial. The plea agreement was reached in August.
A judge said Friday he wants to give prosecutors time to review the motion before setting a hearing date.
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