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A La Verkin man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter — admitting that he beat a man to death with a tree branch in 2013 — was sentenced Thursday to two years in jail, the St. George Spectrum reports.
John Stettler Stucki, 55, pleaded guilty in December in 5th District Court to a reduced count of second-degree felony manslaughter and third-degree felony obstruction of justice.
Stucki was initially charged with first-degree felony murder for the death of Donald George Loomer.
Judge John Walton gave Stucki credit for a year and a half already served, the Spectrum said. Stucki could be sent to prison for up to 15 years if violates his three-year probation, which includes a ban on alcohol consumption.
Loomer, 64, of Hurricane, was found beaten in Stucki's driveway on Oct. 8, 2013.
He died several days later at University Medical Center in Las Vegas after family members decided to take him off life support.
Initially, Stucki allegedly told police that gang members beat the man, and he didn't know how Loomer ended up in his driveway.
Stucki later told investigators he hit Loomer with a branch after the man hit him in the face with a coffee cup during a drunken brawl.
Stucki's attorney, Edward Flint, said Stucki claims he was allowing Loomer to stay at his work place, but the two had disputes over Loomer's behavior, according to the Spectrum.
Prosecutors told the judge that the victim's family did not want to go to trial.
Stucki has been held at the Washington County Jail since his arrest in October 2013.