PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A Portland man has pleaded guilty to the strangulation death of his girlfriend.
Sixty-two-year-old Gregory Vance pleaded guilty to murder Thursday under an agreement that caps his sentence at 35 years. His attorney will press for 25 years when he’s sentenced next month.
Court documents indicate Vance told police the victim, 59-year-old Patricia Grassi, was “tormenting” and “slapping” him, and that he confessed in phone calls to his daughter and ex-wife.
He’s been held without bail since his arrest on March 17, the day Grassi’s body was found.
Defense attorney Tina Heather Nadeau told the Portland Press Herald that Vance has always been remorseful and that it’s “a tragic case for everyone involved.” He said with his plea he has taken responsibility for his actions.
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