EASTON, Pa. (AP) — A man expected to plead guilty to murder in Pennsylvania shocked the court by declaring his innocence, sticking out his tongue at the victim’s family and saying “ha ha ha ha” several times.
Jeffrey Knoble Jr. told a judge Thursday that he was “an innocent man” and was forced to take a guilty plea. He then turned to the victim’s family and began taunting them.
The 26-year-old would have faced life in prison without parole had he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
Knoble is accused of shooting 32-year-old Andrew White in the back of the head in March 2015 in Easton and then recording video of White’s corpse on a cellphone. Authorities say White had rented a room at the motel for Knoble because Knoble had no place to stay.
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