WOOSTER, Ohio – An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to raping and killing a 9-year-old girl whose body was found in a trash bin at the trailer park where they lived.
Jerrod Metsker pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges including aggravated murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Authorities say he was the last person seen in December with Reann Murphy at their trailer park in Smithville, southwest of Akron. Neighbors say the two were playing in the snow before she disappeared.
Metsker later reported Reann missing in a 911 call as neighbors searched the area.
Prosecutors say they agreed to a plea deal that will keep Metsker in prison for the rest of his life after the girl's parents decided they didn't want to pursue the death penalty.
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