By Marshall White
St. Joseph News-Press
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A man pleaded guilty Thursday to the stabbing death of a fellow inmate at the Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center late last year.
Lawrence Logan left court earlier this month knowing he had to make a decision. He’d been told to either change his innocent plea or the criminal case would be set for trial.
In court with high security, Logan changed his plea to guilty on charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Two officers stood with Logan and his attorney Mitchel Jenkins throughout the hearing.
The charges were filed after an investigation by the Missouri Department of Corrections into the stabbing death of Christopher DeBoe on Dec. 9, 2015. The state had originally filed a charge of first-degree murder or in the alternative second-degree murder, but dropped the first-degree charge.
Both men were serving time in prison as convicted murderers.
The only deal Logan got from Buchanan County Prosecutor Dwight Scroggins was an agreement not to file additional charges or enhancements of the charges. Logan faces a possible sentence of 10 to 30 years or life in prison.
The stabbing occurred in a prison day room, but Logan offered no reason for why he came from behind and repeatedly stabbed DeBoe.
He had a contraband item and made it into a homemade shiv, Scroggins said. The victim was stabbed so many times he died almost immediately.
Circuit Judge Dan Kellogg accepted the plea, ordered a background investigation and set the case for sentencing on Thursday, Oct. 6.