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A Utah State Prison inmate who killed his cellmate earlier this year during an apparent fight pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge.
Mario Alfonso Lucero, 34, was charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony murder in the February 10 strangulation death of 23-year-old Julio Guerrero.
On Monday, Lucero pleaded guilty to second-degree felony manslaughter.
Judge Mark Kouris immediately sentenced Lucero to one to 15 years in prison and ordered the term to run concurrently with the 15-years-to-life sentence that Lucero is already serving for beating a man to death in St. George in 2013.
The prison homicide occurred just one day after Lucero had moved into Guerrero's cell, charges state.
After another inmate reported there was "an issue" in their cell, prison officials found Guerrero had suffered "blunt force trauma" sustained long enough to cause asphyxia, according to charges.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Matthew Janzen said after the hearing that Lucero was offered the manslaughter plea deal based on potential self-defense issues, said Janzen. Guerrero was found with a homemade weapon tied to his wrist and Lucero had superficial cuts on his body.
Lucero said in court that Guerrero died during a mutual fight, Janzen said.
Prosecutors had asked for consecutive prison terms because this is Lucero's second homicide.
But the defense argued for concurrent sentencing, noting that consecutive sentencing would make little difference because Lucero's first chance for parole in connection with the St. George murder will not come until 2048.
Guerrero was in prison after allegedly violating his parole following about three years in prison for a 2010 robbery.