Suspect in Murder of Boise State Student Pleads Guilty

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A 61-year-old man who law enforcement officials believe killed an 18-year-old woman has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. The Idaho Statesman reports that Bruce A. Marchant on Tuesday entered a guilty plea to a first-degree murder charge.

In return, prosecutors have agreed to drop rape and kidnapping charges. Boise State University student Sierra Bush was reported missing last September. Her body was found south of Idaho City, about 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) northwest of Boise, in late October. The Boise county coroner said Bush died from asphyxiation.

Marchant was arrested in New York City last December and was extradited from New York to Idaho in April. Police say Marchant had been a tenant of Bush's father. On Tuesday, Marchant told 4th District Judge Johnathan Medema that he wanted to plead guilty because "that's what happened."