Norfolk, Va. - A Newport News man who pleaded guilty to strangling his girlfriend in 2013 will spend 20 years in prison.
Lincoln Peters pleaded guilty to 2nd Degree Murder charges as part of a plea agreement.
Peters was originally facing 1st Degree Murder charges in the death of his on-again, off-again girlfriend Mercedes Tubens.
Nearly two years after the crime, the plea deal was finally reached.
Mercedes’ body was found at the Knight’s Inn on Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk in January of 2013. He was arrested in Newport News seven months later.
He spoke to NewsChannel 3 from jail just after his arrest.
“We fell asleep together. She was whispering in my ear and the next thing I know I'm waking up, she's at the other end of the bed and I'm freaking out because she's not moving," he said.
He went on to tell NEwsChannel 3 that he was told Mercedes died of an overdose. However, court documents revealed the cause of death was strangulation.
Mercedes’ father, Jose Tubens, spoke to NewsChannel 3 after Peters’ arrest, saying they had a dramatic relationship.
“Well, in the past, there were times where he actually threatened to end his life if she was to leave him. To go through that again, I think he had an agenda, and he succeeded,” Tubens said.
Peters was originally sentenced to 35 years in prison but 15 were suspended.
