Chesapeake, Va. - The trial for Ronnie Cisko began Monday in Chesapeake with Cisko entering a plea of not guilty to a murder charge.
However, that changed Tuesday when Cisko agreed to terms with the Commonwealth to enter a guilty plea to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.
Cisko has been in jail for almost nine months, accusing of delivering a deadly blow to another man during a bar fight last December.
Ronnie Cisko
Cisko was arrested and charged in December 2014 after police say he and Chuck Setchel, got into a fight at Zino's restaurant during a football game. Setchel died from his injuries.
Surveillance video from that night shows 48-year-old Setchel and 37-year-old Cisko get up from the bar at Zino's. Seconds later, Cisko lunges at Setchel and punches him in the neck.
Setchel is seen motionless on the ground and Cisko steps over him and leaves.
In bond hearings, Cisko's attorney told the judge he did not intentionally kill Setchel.
The Medical Examiner later reported Setchel’s cause of death was a vertebral artery dissection caused by blunt force trauma. A Medical Examiner previously testified that it was Cisko’s assault that killed Setchel.
Bond hearings also revealed that Cisko had a criminal history, including assault, weapons and robbery charges.
The Commonwealth also pointed out that Cisko had only been out of jail for about six months before the deadly fight.
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