Eighteen-year-old Bryan Grove pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 52-year-old Linda Damm of Lafayette last February. Authorities say she was stabbed 18 times and then left in the trunk of her car for weeks.
Prosecutors say Damm's daughter, Tess, told Grove to kill her mother. Tess Damm, now 16, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and is scheduled to go on trial in May.
Grove had also been charged with first-degree murder, but prosecutors reduced the charge in exchange for his guilty plea last November. He would be eligible for parole after 30 years.
"I apologize for the pain and tears and grief I caused," Grove told members of Damm's family in court Tuesday. "I lay myself at your mercy and ask for it."
Authorities found Linda Damm's body on Feb. 28, more than three weeks after they believe she was killed.
Investigators say Tess Damm had complained to police that her mother was an abusive alcoholic and that she asked Grove to kill her.
Police said the teens tried twice to get rid of the body but failed. They were planning a third attempt when they were arrested, police said.
A third teen pleaded guilty to an accessory charge for helping put the body in the car and was sentenced to two years in youth corrections and six months of parole.
A fourth pleaded guilty to tampering for helping others try to dispose of the body. He was sentenced to six months of work release, six months of electronic surveillance and three years of probation.
quot;He told me early on, #39;Dad, I never expected this to happen,#39;quot; said Kenneth Grove, Bryan Grove#39;s father.
Kenneth Grove says he adopted Bryan when the boy was 4-months-old and living in an orphanage in India.
quot;I don#39;t think (Bryan) grasps the fact that his actions have happened. It#39;s probably hard for adolescents to grasp that,quot; he told 9NEWS. quot;We, at times like to say, #39;Well, what really happened?#39; and I have a part that says that too, but at this point that isn#39;t really what matters.quot;
Kenneth Grove says he didn#39;t see anything that would suggest to him Bryan was capable of murder. quot;We never sensed anything,quot; he said.
Dennis Comeau, Linda Damm#39;s brother-in-law, was also at court on Tuesday and says mourning her is not getting any easier.
quot;We live it everyday. It#39;s a challenge every day and hopefully this will be a part we can put behind us now,quot; said Comeau. quot;We#39;re going to try to move on and learn to forgive.quot;
quot;We all have to find closure and forgiveness,quot; he added.
