Man imprisoned in Ariz. murders pleads no contest
Web Producer: Rikki Mitchell
PHOENIX (AP) - A man imprisoned for nearly four decades in the deaths of two people near Phoenix has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder charges, securing his release.
Bill Macumber entered the plea Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court under an agreement with prosecutors and received a sentence of time served.
The 77-year-old had twice been convicted of first-degree murder in the 1962 deaths of Joyce Sterrenberg and Tim McKillop, but he has maintained his innocence.
Judge Bruce Cohen earlier granted Macumber's request to set aside the convictions, although the victims' family argued against it. Prosecutors say they couldn't go forward with a third trial because evidence has been destroyed or lost.
The Justice Project has advocated for Macumber's release, saying he was framed and another man confessed to the killings.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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