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A LaVerkin man pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday, admitting that he beat a man to death with a tree branch.
John Stettler Stucki, 55, pleaded guilty in St. George's 5th District Court to second-degree felony manslaughter and third-degree felony obstruction of justice, the St. George Spectrum reports.
Stucki is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5 by Judge John Walton.
Donald George Loomer, a 64-year-old from Hurricane, was found beaten in a LaVerkin 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.
Police say Stucki later told them that he hit Loomer with a branch after the man hit him in the face with a coffee cup in a drunken brawl.
Stucki's attorney, Edward Flint, said in court that his client has regrets about Loomer's death and is satisfied with the plea agreement.
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.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
jmiller@sltrib.com Twitter: @jm_miller