(AP) — A southwest Missouri man accused of killing his mother surprised attorneys by declining to accept a plea deal.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys believed they had a deal for 22-year-old Connor Cox to plead guilty to second-degree murder.
He is accused of fatally shooting Angela Cox in February 2018 at their Greene County home.
Cox originally was charged with first-degree murder.
When he was asked during a hearing Monday if he accepted the plea, Jones said he didn’t “knowingly” cause his mother’s death — a requirement for second-degree murder.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that for now Cox is still charged with first-degree murder.
