Defendant stops trial, pleads guilty to Tulsa murder
BY BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
A man halted his Tulsa County trial Wednesday and pleaded guilty to murdering a man who was stabbed to death in the victim’s home.
Raphael Hamilton, 21, of Tulsa pleaded guilty to a first-degree "felony" murder charge in the killing of Randolph Carney Ney, 26.
The slain main was found in his residence in the 1100 block of South Florence Avenue on July 15, 2011. In the murder charge, prosecutors alleged that he was killed July 10.
Ney had more than 20 stab wounds, according to a medical examiner.
Hamilton is set to be sentenced on July 11 by District Judge Tom Gillert.
The only punishment options for the murder are life in prison with or without the possibility of parole. The lesser of those two alternatives will require Hamilton to be incarcerated for 38 years and three months before becoming eligible for parole.
Hamilton’s jury trial began this week in Gillert’s court. After prosecutors presented testimony from four witnesses, Hamilton exercised his option to plead guilty, without the benefit of a plea agreement with prosecutors to govern his punishment.
Prosecutors also charged Hamilton with armed robbery, alleging that he took a laptop computer, two cell phones and marijuana that belonged to Ney, a court document shows. That robbery count is destined for dismissal because the robbery accusation provided the basis for the felony murder charge.
A blood-stained folding knife — which prosecutors maintain is the murder weapon — was found by police in Hamilton’s pocket, according to Assistant District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler.
Defense attorney Adam Haselgren, representing Hamilton, indicated that according to Hamilton, other people were involved. No one else has been charged.
Hamilton admitted to participating in a robbery and that as a result of that robbery, Ney got killed, Haselgren said.
The murder charge alleges that Hamilton, who is in the Tulsa Jail, stabbed Ney and inflicted mortal wounds.
Associated Images:
Raphael Hamilton
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