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Kalamazoo man pleads guilty in slaying of elderly neighbor

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A southwestern Michigan man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the beating death of his elderly neighbor.

MLive.com reports Thursday that Todd Maneke's plea agreement came Wednesday in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court and calls for a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years.

Alfred Minka was found dead in August 2013 on the floor of his Kalamazoo apartment. Forensics experts testified that the 88-year-old Minka had been hit in the back of the head several times with a hammer or similar object.

Maneke was on trial in September, but a judge declared a mistrial because she learned several jurors had researched the case outside of what was presented in court. Maneke's new trial was scheduled to start next month.