A woman accused in the June 17 stabbing death of 26-year-old Ricky Nurnberg of Emporia, pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter on Wednesday afternoon in Lyon County District Court.
DeAnna L. Meece, 25, was scheduled to stand trial for intentional second-degree murder on Monday and has been held in the Lyon County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.
The hearing Wednesday afternoon originally had been scheduled as the final pre-trial conference in the case.
District Judge Lee Fowler accepted Meece’s plea and found her guilty after questioning her about the circumstances that led to her decision to plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter.
Fowler asked whether she understood that she had rights to a jury trial, to subpoena and question witnesses, to testify in her own behalf if she so chose, and to appeal the verdict of a jury.
“You’re giving up these rights,” Fowler said regarding the no-contest plea.
Meece answered that she understood.
Fowler also asked if she was satisfied with the performance of her attorney, Don C. Krueger, and the district court, and if Krueger had gone over the options available to her legally. Meece responded that she had no complaints.
Fowler also asked if any promises made to her or or any threats made against her that influenced her decision to plead. She said there had been none.
“Do you know of any reason why I shouldn’t accept your plea?” Fowler asked.
She answered she did not.
Fowler said that he had gone over the case and believed that if the evidence were presented without rebuttal, she would be found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. He then found her guilty of the amended charged.
The maximum sentence for voluntary manslaughter is 247 months and a fine of up to $300,000.
Krueger told the court that Meece had two misdemeanor convictions, and believes that she would qualify to a Category H Box sentence of 71 months in prison, and that could be mitigated to 61 months because of her prior criminal history.
Fowler ordered a pre-sentence investigative report by Court Services be completed to verify Meece’s history.
He set sentencing for 11 a.m. on Jan. 29.
Meece was accused of stabbing Nurnberg during a disagreement while they were staying with a friend of Nurnberg, Anthony Nicholson, at his apartment in the 500 block of Congress Street.
Nicholson, who was a witness at Meece’s preliminary hearing, told officers that he had been using a computer in his living room as the couple quarreled. The argument moved from the living room to the kitchen and back toward the living area. The witness said that when he heard a thud and looked up, he saw Nurnberg on the floor, bleeding from a chest wound, and Meece was kneeling over him.
“I kinda went into shock and went into my bedroom and grabbed my dog and grabbed Ricky’s cell phone from the kitchen counter and took off running,” Nicholson testified during the preliminary hearing before District Judge Lee Fowler.
Meece also fled from the apartment.
Another witness said Meece had gone to a nearby convenience store to clean away the blood and had called friends to pick her up. Later, she called police and was taken in for questioning.
Meece and Nurnberg had a history of domestic disputes, with both having been charged with domestic battery within the year prior to the killing.
Nurnberg had entered a diversion agreement in Emporia Municipal Court in December 2008. The agreement was to end on march 11, 2010, if requirements were met.
Both Meece and Nurnberg were charged with battery, domestic violence, on Mach 28, 2009.
Nurnberg pleaded no contest to the March charge on June 4, less than two weeks before the stabbing.
Meece entered a diversion agreement on the battery charge on May 7.
Meece told Emporia police that a “no contact” order was issued through municipal court to prohibit contact between her and Nurnberg, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
The affidavit stated that she had been told by her diversion supervisor not to go to Nurnberg’s apartment. She went there on the evening of Tuesday, June 16, 2009, and remained there until the stabbing occurred.
Dr. Erik Mitchell, coroner with Shawnee County Coroner’s office, testified at the preliminary hearing that the first stab wound was the fatal wound, and that Nurnberg had bled to death.
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Posted by anurnberg (anonymous) on November 27, 2009 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Deanna Meece is not going to get all she deserves.Our laws on first time affence is way to shoft. I know the law has a guideline to follow but come on people. There isn't anything worse than taking another persons life. They say because it's her first time & she hasn't done much else wrong it's OK, bull. She KILLED-put her away.......Ricky had alot of friends & God Love you I know Ricky did. If each one of you was to write the right people maybe we could make a difference in this first time crap..........For me there should never be a firts time & diffently a person should not get a second chance to take another life.If everyone was take 5min. of your time to write or call the Atty. General, maybe just some how we can change these stpuid laws & we need to do this on Ricky's behalf. He paid with his life for loving someone.........This should never have happen......Ricky's Momma.........
Posted by mrscobra1588 (anonymous) on January 29, 2010 at 7:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone happy now?????????? Probably not but at least you all got to have your say and so did she. I know someone that needs to be bring her stuff to one of her friend because why do you have to have it???? You are not going to catch her on anything so PLEASE turn it over to one of her friends!!!!
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