Youngstown man's guilty plea ends trial

YOUNGSTOWN — Edward C. Anderson’s jury trial for murder ended abruptly on its third day today when he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification.

Anderson, 61, of East Philadelphia Avenue, was charged with the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Mary M. Thompson, 37, on July 15, 2004, in the residence they shared after a domestic dispute.

Anderson faces six to 13 years in prison when Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentences him at 9 a.m. March 30. The prosecution is recommending 13 years. Had Anderson been convicted of the original murder charge with a gun specification, he would have been facing 18 years to life in prison.

Judge Evans said a defendant may enter a guilty plea anytime before a jury renders its verdict.