A man charged with murder for strangling his former roommate at a Salt Lake City apartment in 2002, pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge and was sentenced to prison for up to five years.

Miguel Angel Bacilio, 44, was charged with first-degree felony murder for killing Maria Trinidad-Gonzales on March 22, 2002, and hiding her body in a closet at the apartment, near 1400 South and Redwood Road.

After Trinidad-Gonzales apparently went to their former apartment to clean, police believe Bacilio met her there and strangled her.

Two days later, Bacilio called a friend of the victim and said Trinidad-Gonzales was dead, according to charges filed in 3rd District Court.

Bacilio was at large until May 2007, when he was arrested in Georgia, according to police.

A murder trial was scheduled for later this month. But on Friday, Bacilio entered an Alford plea --meaning he does not admit guilt -- to second-degree felony manslaughter.

According to an agreement between the attorneys, Judge Vernice Trease sentenced Bacilio as if the crime were a lesser third-degree felony.

Prosecutor Alicia Cook said that at the time of the homicide, Bacilio was wanted in Texas, where had been convicted of rape, placed on probation and then absconded.

Cook said Bacilio will now be extradited to Texas, where he is expected to serve out his original sentence for the rape conviction -- a term of about 30 years.