A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Jeannette neighbor nearly three years ago.
Prosecutors said Antwone Dupree Thurston II, 25, stabbed and slashed 62-year-old William Osselburn 11 times during an altercation on Sept. 26, 2022, outside of a South Sixth Street home.
Originally charged with a general count of criminal homicide, Westmoreland County prosecutors said evidence suggested Thurston erroneously believed he was forced to act in self-defense and unreasonably used deadly force against his victim.
“There may be a viable self-defense claim in this case,” Assistant District Attorney Aubri Swank said in support of the plea deal.
According to court records, witnesses claimed Thurston was on his porch and eventually intervened in a dispute over rent between Osselburn and another neighbor. One witness told police Osselburn pushed Thurston into a shrub, the altercation escalated and ultimately ended with Osselburn being repeatedly stabbed, police said.
Thurston initially maintained he was defending his girlfriend, with whom he resided, and her children.
“To that man’s family, I apologize. I truly am sorry. Please forgive me,” Thurston said during Wednesday’s court appearance.
Defense attorney Ryan Tutera said Thurston never wavered from his position that he acted in self-defense.
“My client believes the facts and circumstances appears to be a justified use of force, but we realize that maybe the facts will result in a different outcome (at trial) than what he thought,” Tutera said.
Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger imposed the terms of a negotiated plea deal that calls for Thurston to serve 5 to 10 years in prison. He was given credit for the nearly three years he has served in jail since his arrest and will be eligible for parole in mid-2027.
Osselburn’s family members were not in court, but signed off on the plea deal, said Assistant District Attorney Adam Barr.
“We met with the (victim’s) family multiple times and talked about the good and bad evidence. They understood. It’s a hard thing to accept, but they were in favor of the plea agreement,” Barr said.