LONG BEACH - One of three Marines charged in the 2007 shooting death of a 22-year-old Long Beach man pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to all the charges against him.
During Wednesday's session, Cpl. Ramon Hernandez, 23, entered a guilty plea to three counts - first-degree murder, attempted robbery and burglary.
The three defendants - Hernandez and Privates First Class Trevor Glenn Landers, 20, and Anthony Red Vigeant, 21 - appeared at the Long Beach Superior Court Wednesday for a tentative trial date.
All three were charged with killing David Jack Pettigrew during a robbery at Pettigrew's Long Beach apartment on Sept. 9, 2007.
During a 2008 preliminary hearing, a Long Beach police detective testified that Hernandez, the shooter, had performed two tours of duty in Iraq and received the Purple Heart after a bomb detonated near him, leaving him with head and facial injuries.
Hernandez will return to the Long Beach courthouse on May 4 for sentencing, when he faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.
Landers and Vigeant are still going to trial, but appear to have severed their cases and will be appearing on different dates.
If convicted on all counts, both Landers and Vigeant also face a maximum of life behind bars without the possiblity of parole.Landers is scheduled to return to court on April 30 and Vigeant will return on May 12.
tracy.manzer@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1261.
I am glad to see that these three have admitted to their horrible act of taking a life. David Pettigrew will be remembered as a very smart driven young man who left us at an early age. I feel fortunate to have been able to be a part of his life. We miss you Dave.
I am glad to see that these three have admitted to their horrible act of taking a life. David Pettigrew will be remembered as a very smart driven young man who left us at an early age. I feel fortunate to have been able to be a part of his life. We miss you Dave.
I am glad to see that these three have admitted to their horrible act of taking a life. David Pettigrew will be remembered as a very smart driven young man who left us at an early age. I feel fortunate to have been able to be a part of his life. We miss you Dave.
I am glad to see that these three have admitted to their horrible act of taking a life. David Pettigrew will be remembered as a very smart driven young man who left us at an early age. I feel fortunate to have been able to be a part of his life. We miss you Dave.
I am glad to see that these three young men will pay for what they had done. I was able to coach David Pettigrew while he played water polo at Wilson High School. I became fond of his work ethic, mental toughness. The Wilson community was very fortunate to have known David. You will be missed my friend.