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An Independence man will go to prison for killing a Truman High School student in 2007.
A year and one month to the day since he fled police and struck and killed Christopher Cooper, Wilfredo J. Pujols Jr. pleaded guilty to several charges, including felony murder. Pujols, 25, pleaded guilty Monday before Circuit Judge Jack Grate in Jackson County Court on four counts stemming from the Nov. 8, 2007 accident.
Cooper, 17, was a junior at Truman. He was riding his bicycle near Noland Road and Osage Street when Pujols’ vehicle struck and killed him.
Pujols pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, one count of resisting arrest and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Assistant Jackson County Prosecutor Staci Stancell said the plea-bargain agreement was a sure-fire way to assure Pujols would spend significant time in jail. Pujols’ trial had been scheduled to begin Monday.
“It’s really just a matter of having more of a guarantee than taking a chance with a jury,” Stancell said. “He’s admitted his guilt.”
Before striking Cooper, Pujols rammed another vehicle at 39th Street and Lee’s Summit Road and fled from Independence police investigating the initial accident. Police were in pursuit when Pujols struck Cooper.
Pujols’ plea agreement stipulates that he will serve no more than 20 years in state prison. He faced up to 30 years to life on the murder charge – a class A felony – and up to one year in the county jail or up to fours years in state prison on the other counts, all class D felonies.
Cooper’s mother, Cheryl Cooper, and other family members were unavailable for comment after the proceedings, but shed tears as they sat through the 20-minute hearing with members of Pujols’ family seated immediately behind them. Pujols’ family members were emotional as well after hearing him plead guilty. They declined to comment after the proceedings.
Pujols’ attorney, John Picerno, said from the beginning his client has expressed remorse for what he did and, after initially lying to officers investigating the accident, never denied his involvement or tried to skirt responsibility.
“He never intentionally denied anything other than that first night,” Picerno said. “He did a dumb thing. He should have pulled over and he didn’t.”
Picerno said both he and Pujols had hoped the state would consider charges – possibly involuntary manslaughter – other than murder. After all, he said, Pujols never set out that night to commit murder.
“Unfortunately, there were a whole bunch of circumstances,” that lead to Cooper’s death, Picerno said, adding that Cooper was wearing headphones when he was struck. “He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that’s awful. It’s a terrible, terrible thing for everybody.”
Grate set sentencing for 10 a.m. April 23.
An Independence man will go to prison for killing a Truman High School student in 2007.
A year and one month to the day since he fled police and struck and killed Christopher Cooper, Wilfredo J. Pujols Jr. pleaded guilty to several charges, including felony murder. Pujols, 25, pleaded guilty Monday before Circuit Judge Jack Grate in Jackson County Court on four counts stemming from the Nov. 8, 2007 accident.
Cooper, 17, was a junior at Truman. He was riding his bicycle near Noland Road and Osage Street when Pujols’ vehicle struck and killed him.
Pujols pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, one count of resisting arrest and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Assistant Jackson County Prosecutor Staci Stancell said the plea-bargain agreement was a sure-fire way to assure Pujols would spend significant time in jail. Pujols’ trial had been scheduled to begin Monday.
“It’s really just a matter of having more of a guarantee than taking a chance with a jury,” Stancell said. “He’s admitted his guilt.”
Before striking Cooper, Pujols rammed another vehicle at 39th Street and Lee’s Summit Road and fled from Independence police investigating the initial accident. Police were in pursuit when Pujols struck Cooper.
Pujols’ plea agreement stipulates that he will serve no more than 20 years in state prison. He faced up to 30 years to life on the murder charge – a class A felony – and up to one year in the county jail or up to fours years in state prison on the other counts, all class D felonies.
Cooper’s mother, Cheryl Cooper, and other family members were unavailable for comment after the proceedings, but shed tears as they sat through the 20-minute hearing with members of Pujols’ family seated immediately behind them. Pujols’ family members were emotional as well after hearing him plead guilty. They declined to comment after the proceedings.
Pujols’ attorney, John Picerno, said from the beginning his client has expressed remorse for what he did and, after initially lying to officers investigating the accident, never denied his involvement or tried to skirt responsibility.
“He never intentionally denied anything other than that first night,” Picerno said. “He did a dumb thing. He should have pulled over and he didn’t.”
Picerno said both he and Pujols had hoped the state would consider charges – possibly involuntary manslaughter – other than murder. After all, he said, Pujols never set out that night to commit murder.
“Unfortunately, there were a whole bunch of circumstances,” that lead to Cooper’s death, Picerno said, adding that Cooper was wearing headphones when he was struck. “He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that’s awful. It’s a terrible, terrible thing for everybody.”
Grate set sentencing for 10 a.m. April 23.
