Two men, accused of killing Jonathan Joe Schmeikal on a street in Forest Lawn in 2015 have admitted to committing the crime just moments before their trial was set to begin.
Jerry Cody Goodeagle, 27, and Dyson White, 39, pleaded guilty on Wednesday morning in connection with Schmeikal’s death on September 30, 2015.
Goodeagle pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and Dyson pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Schmeikal was found dead in the middle of a street in the 2600 block of 43 Street S.E. by police officers who were responding to a check on welfare call.
Investigators said that he’d been driven around in a stolen vehicle before he was shot to death. They said his death was linked to the drug trade.
Goodeagle and White were originally charged with second-degree murder, but the charges were upgraded to first-degree ahead of the trial.
The pair was supposed to be tried by a judge and jury.
A sentencing date will be decided on November 17, when victim impact statements are submitted to the court.
