CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The final defendants in the murders of a former reality show contestant and three other people pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Mecklenburg County.
It has been three years since the crimes, and Channel 9 was in the courtroom Thursday as emotions spilled over.
David Lopez pleaded guilty to armed robbery and accessory to first-degree murder. He will spend at least 10 years in prison before being deported.
He had testified against Emmanuel Rangel and Edward Sanchez, the two shooters in the slayings of four people in February 2015. One victim, Rosool Harrell, was killed in Matthews and the other three -- Mirjana Puhar, Jonathan Alvarado, and Jusmar Gonzaga-Garcia -- died at a home on Norris Avenue in north Charlotte.
Puhar had been a former contestant on the reality show “America's Next Top Model.”
Past coverage:
- Autopsy: Former 'Top Model' contestant died from neck gunshot wound
- NC senator: Man accused in triple murder avoided deportation under Obama policy
- Second man arrested in triple murder of 'America's Top Model,' 2 others
- Jury finds man guilty of murdering 4, including 'Top Model' hopeful
- Warrants detail triple homicide involving aspiring model
- Vigil held for 2 men, aspiring model slain in north Charlotte
- Questions surround killing of former 'America's Top Model' contestant
- Former 'America's Next Top Model' contestant among 3 slain in NE Charlotte
Police said drugs were involved in the shootings and that the victims and suspects knew each other.
Emily Isaacs was the second defendant to plead guilty Thursday. She drove the two shooters away from the murder scenes and had also testified at their trials.
The mother of Rosool Harrell told Isaacs in court that she is just as guilty as the others and later shared her feelings with Channel 9.
“She was walking around like everything was OK,” Jackie Harrell said. “Like she had no part of it. But she drove the car that they came and shot my son.”
Isaacs apologized in court.
Her attorneys had hoped she would not go to prison, but the judge sentenced her to a little more than four years for her role in the murders.
They said Isaacs was swept away by one of the suspects, who she met days before the murders.
“Over the next three days, he basically took control of her life through giving her drugs,” defense attorney Eben Rawls said.
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