1 of 2 accused of killing Wisconsin couple signs plea deal

A Wisconsin 19-year-old who is accused of helping kill the parents of a friend's girlfriend after a dispute over COVID-19 restrictions signed a plea agreement, authorities said Tuesday at a status conference.

Ali'jah Larrue, who is charged with two counts of party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide, will likely plead guilty next month to amended charges, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Sentencing for Larrue would be delayed until after the outcome of the case against his friend, Khari Sanford, who allegedly fired the shots that killed Dr. Beth Potter and her husband, Robin Carre, of Madison, last March.

Sanford was living with a daughter of the couple. Investigators said they had moved their daughter and Sanford out of their house and into a rental home because they were not following social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus outbreak. Potter’s supervisor at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics said Potter’s medication put her at greater risk from the coronavirus.

Joggers found the victims at the arboretum, a research and popular recreational area, near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus on March 31, 2020. Autopsies found both victims were shot in the back of the head, apparently the night before.

Sanford is charged with two counts of party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon. Andrew Martinez, a lawyer representing Sanford, said in court that the defense is in discussions with prosecutors about a plea deal.