Following a plea deal reached this month, authorities in Vermont say a man who allegedly shot and killed two Massachusetts men has pleaded guilty.
Three years after Theodore Bland, 30, allegedly killed two western Massachusetts men in Lowell, Vermont, the U.S. Attorney's Office says he has formally pleaded guilty to several related charges, and will likely avoid the death penalty.
Bland is accused of shooting 21-year-old Jahim Solomon of Pittsfield, Mass., and Eric White of Chicopee, Mass., also age 21.
Prosecutors say the motive appeared to be drug-related. Soon after the shooting, Bland allegedly stole what was believed to be cocaine and fentanyl off the men. He's also accused of moving their bodies to a "wooded area" in Eden, Vermont, and stealing their firearms.
While the state of Vermont abolished capital punishment decades ago, the case was brought to federal court, where the U.S. Attorney's Office indicated it would seek the death penalty.
Following a plea deal reached earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney's office said Monday it had opted for what could be two consecutive life sentences.
Sentencing for Bland is scheduled for Sept. 14.
