McInerney Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder

Brandon McInerney has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Lawrence King and will be sentenced to 21 years in prison, reports Los Angeles's ABC 7 news.

In September, Ventura County, Calif., Superior Court judge Charles Campbell declared a mistrial in the two-month-long case against the 17-year-old after a jury was unable to decide between charges of first-degree murder with a hate-crime enhancement or voluntary manslaughter. The former charge would have netted McInerney at least 53 years in prison, the latter only about 20.

The prosecution claimed the killing was premeditated and that McInerney had planned to kill his classmate after King made unwanted sexual advances, while the defense argued that McInerney, who had been the subject of repeated abuse in his home, had snapped over some comments King had made.

McInerney will be officially sentenced December 19.

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