Reuben Yerkes (l.) enters court with his attorney, public defender Nathan Lockwood. As part of his deal with the state, Yerkes agreed to plead guilty to second degree murder, which carries a penalty of up to 99 years in prison. Judge Trevor Stevens did not see a reason to reject a proposed sentence of 60 years, with 15 suspended, because of Yerkes’s otherwise spotless criminal record. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)
