A 17-year-old pleaded guilty in the slayings of nine people at a Buddhist temple in Arizona, sparing himself the death penalty.
View Comments
Alessandro "Alex" Garcia pleaded guilty Wednesday to nine counts of murder and one of burglary and agreed to testify against another teenager charged. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.Six Buddhist monks, a monk-in-training, a temple helper and an elderly nun were slain in 1991 at the Wat Promkunaram temple outside Phoenix. Authorities said the robbery netted about $2,500 in cash, cameras and other goods.