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Man pleads guilty in grandmother's slaying

Posted by Milton Valencia  December 22, 2010 04:21 PM
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By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff

A British man pleaded guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his 80-year-old grandmother last year in Weston.

James Maguire-Clark will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years in prison. If he is paroled, he will have to serve 20 years under strict probation conditions.

The murder plea reflected an agreement among prosecutors and defense lawyers that the 24-year-old had been suffering from a mental illness at the killing.

“This defendant has now publicly accepted responsibility for killing his own beloved grandmother,” Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said. “Considering the legitimate documented and demonstrated issues regarding the defendant’s relevant and legally recognized mental health and diminished capacity, today’s plea is the reasonable and appropriate resolution to a tragic act.”

Authorities said Maguire-Clark, 22 at the time, stabbed his grandmother, Eleanor Clark, on March 15. 2009, because she did not respect him. He told authorities he “lost it” when she slapped him. He said he hit and stabbed her in the head.

He went to a family friend’s home in Newton and allegedly confessed to the crime.

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On the beat

Reporter Milton J. Valencia is covering the federal appeals court ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act.
Milton J. Valencia
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