MILFORD —A plea agreement has been reached in the case of a Milford teen accused of stabbing and killing his classmate on prom day.
Family and friends of Christopher Plaskon and Maren Sanchez filled a Milford courtroom as the judge accepted the plea deal.
State Prosecutor Kevin Lawlor said, "The total recommended sentence would be 25 years to serve. An agreed upon sentence, not a right to argue."
This was the resolution both sides came to after almost four months of doctors evaluating Plaskon’s mental state.
On April 25, 2014, prosecutors say Plaskon, then 16, fatally stabbed Sanchez in a stairwell of Johnathan Law High School with a steak knife because she refused his offer to go the prom.
Plaskon’s attorney, Ed Gavin, said anyone could’ve been the victim that day.
"It really has nothing to do with the prom. It was a kid who was decompensating and psychotic," said Gavin.
Lawlor says the Sanchez family agreed to the plea, though it's not ideal. Sanchez’s father, who lives in Florida, had his attorney speak on his behalf.
The attorney, Anthony Bonadies, said, "To you lose your daughter like this, there's a hole the size of the Grand Canyon and I don't know if anything is going to fill that hole. To say he's satisfied, that's not going to happen."
Gavin says Plaskon’s no contest plea to this murder charge means he's not admitting guilt, but he's accepting the punishment, which could end up being just 13 years once he's eligible for parole.
"She lost her life. She didn't deserve that to happen to her and you have Christopher suffering mental disease and defect. This is a resolution where we don't have to go forward with a trial," said Gavin.
Lawlor says this case has not been an easy one, but the resolution is appropriate based on the legal and moral factors.
"He was 16 at the time he committed the crime and he should be punished severely and I believe he is. He is pleading guilty to murder charges and I came out here on day one and I believe I stated he was being charged with murder and I don't file a charge unless I believe it's supported in the evidence."
Gavin says Plaskon will stay in a juvenile facility until he's 21 or 22 years old, then he will be moved to an adult facility.
He's scheduled to be sentenced on June 6.
