Harbison Plea Deal Possible

Originally the pike county prosecutor asked to try Nicholas Harbison for the death penalty. Today he offered to withdraw that request in exchange for a guilty plea from Harbison. Pike County Prosecutor Darrin McDonald says if Harbison pleads guilty hell ask for three consecutive life sentences plus 50 years in prison. McDonald and all the victims families declined comment. But Harbisons lawyer says hes happy about the agreement. Nicholas Harbison may never walk free - but he still has a chance to live. "Hes relieved I think that hes not going to face the death penalty," says his lawyer Steven Ripstra. Harbison is accused of killing 17 year old Rebekah Acorn, 18 year old Keela Lynch, 21 year old Spencer White and attempting to kill Cameron White. The crime happened in a Pike County cornfield last July. Last August the Pike County prosecutor asked for Harbison to face the death penalty. Now hes asking for a plea deal. "Nick Harbison is going to plead guilty to the three murders and the one attempted murder." Facing life without parole in jail. McDonald isnt commenting on this decision, but Harbisons lawyer Steve Ripstra has an idea. "I think a driving factor is time." Ripstra says most death penalty cases take more than 20 years thanks to appeals. "The families got to live through that every couple years." With this plea deal Harbison could be behind bars less than a year since the crime happened. Money is also a factor. The state picks up some of the cost but death penalty cases can get pricey. Recently the death penalty retrial of former Indiana State Trooper David Camm out of Floyd County was tried in Warrick County. It cost Floyd County more than a half a million dollars. Ripstra says hes happy because his job is to keep Harbison alive. "On the facts the way they added up one person shot three dead especially the two young ladies it was not a good set of facts." First a judge has to approve the terms of the agreement Ripstra says the plea agreement will be presented in court sometime at the end of the month. A sentencing date will be set a month or more after that.