Posted on 08/11/2004 8:08:33 PM PDT by DameAutour
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A man who said Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of The Christ" led him to confess that he murdered his girlfriend pleaded guilty to the crime in a Texas court on Wednesday.
"I assume full responsibility for my actions," Dan Leach told Judge Brady Elliott just as his trial on murder charges was set to start.
"I plead guilty."
A jury which had been selected to hear the case now will decide his punishment, which could be up to life in prison.
Leach, 21, said he killed girlfriend Ashley Nicole Wilson in January because she said she was pregnant and he wanted nothing more to do with her.
Leach set up the murder to look like a suicide by getting Wilson, 19, to write a list of all the things wrong in her life and place a pillowcase over her head as a "trust exercise."
When she could not see, he strangled her with a cord that was also tied around the headboard of her bed.
An autopsy showed Wilson was not pregnant, officials said.
Police interpreted the list as a suicide note and ruled the death a suicide until March, when Leach saw Gibson's movie about the crucifixion of Christ and felt compelled to confess.
He later pleaded not guilty to the murder until changing his plea on Wednesday.
bump.
Wow, this movie has some real power. Too bad this man didn't see it before he killed this woman.
I guess honesty is the best policy.
bump!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.