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Man pleads guilty in connection to Aurora double murder, faces 120 years in prison

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Posted at 11:41 AM, Sep 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-27 11:46:52-04

An Indiana man charged in connection with the 2018 murders of his mother and grandfather has accepted a plea deal for 120 years in prison, the Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday.

On Thursday, 28-year-old Cody Booth pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in the death of his mother, Faith Craig, 58. He also pleaded guilty to the murder of his grandfather Walter Bryant Jr., 78, and to conspiracy to commit robbery.

Booth and his girlfriend Margie Thomas were both charged in the Jan. 17, 2018 murders. According to court documents, the pair stabbed Craig multiple times in the family's home near Aurora. Booth shoved Bryant down a flight of stairs before stabbing him, court documents say.

Booth, who later told investigators he had been feeling “dope sick,” had asked for money from Craig and Bryant, who refused. After murdering them, Booth said he took money and jewelry from the family home to purchase drugs in Cincinnati. Booth and Thompson were arrested in Somerset, Kentucky and charged on Jan. 29, 2018.

More: Victim's son, girlfriend charged in double homicide near Aurora

Thompson pleaded guilty to murder in March and will spend 95 years in prison. Booth’s trial was slated to start Monday.

“After consulting with the families of the victims, they voiced their strong approval of the plea agreement,” said Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Deddens. “The families of Faith Craig and Walter Bryant Jr. wanted to make sure that Booth will not be getting out of prison. This plea agreement assures them that Cody Booth will die in prison for his heinous actions.”

Booth's sentence pronouncement is scheduled for Oct. 17 in Dearborn County Circuit Court.