SEATTLE — A man who smothered his wife with a pillow and hid her body under a bed pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Seattle to second-degree murder.
Under a plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending a 15-year prison term when Kevin S. O’Leary, 55, is sentenced March 8, although the judge could impose up to a life sentence.
Prosecutors say O’Leary killed Valerie Jefferson on June 7 during an argument about an affair he had more than a decade ago.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says O’Leary is a Swinomish tribal member and Jefferson was a Lummi tribal member. Federal authorities had jurisdiction because the killing occurred at a residence on Lummi trust land.
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