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The death penalty might be off the table for a Utah man accused of kidnapping, raping and killing a 6-year-old West Jordan girl more than four years ago.

Terry Lee Black, 45, is charged with first-degree felony counts of aggravated murder, child kidnapping and rape of a child for allegedly snatching Sierra Newbold from her West Jordan home and killing her on June 26, 2012.

Last year, Black was found not competent to stand trial on the charges.

Attorneys were expected to argue Wednesday about whether a judge should order that Black be forcibly medicated as he receives treatment at the Utah State Hospital, but defense attorneys said in court they did not oppose the action.

The defense team's withdrawal of their objections to forced medication is part of a "compromise" between attorneys, according to Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Blake Hills.

"If the compromise came to fruition," Hills said Thursday, "the state would not pursue the death penalty."

Hills said he wouldn't call the agreement a plea deal, since Black is currently incompetent and the case against him can't formally proceed. He would not give any other details about the terms of the compromise.

Black is expected in court again on July 11 for a status conference.

Black allegedly abducted Sierra, charging documents state, from her West Jordan house — about a block from his own home — and beat, raped and strangled her before throwing her into a nearby canal, where she drowned.

Three days later, Black was arrested on suspicion of an unrelated bank robbery.

When he was taken into custody, investigators noticed soot and debris on his clothing and hands that were similar to the materials in a field where Sierra's clothes were found.

Lab results later showed that Black's DNA matched DNA found on Sierra's body, prosecutors said.

Black has sent letters to The Salt Lake Tribune from jail in which he has maintained his innocence. Police were looking for someone to pin Sierra's murder on, he said, and he was an easy target who got caught up in the investigation.