Cleveland-area man pleads no contest in killing of future mother-in-law

CLEVELAND (AP) — A 21-year-old Cleveland-area man has pleaded no contest in the stabbing and shooting death of his future mother-in-law.

Prosecutors say Jeffrey Scullin Jr. shot his fiancee’s mother and stabbed her more than 30 times last October, five days before he was supposed to be married.

Scullin entered pleaded no contest today to aggravated murder and other charges in the killing of Melinda Pleskovic.

The plea came on the same day Scullin was set to go on trial and a day after a judge ruled against throwing out the suspect’s confession.

Scullin’s attorney says he still maintains his innocence.

Prosecutors said Scullin staged a series of break-ins during the weeks before the killing at a home in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville where he lived with the Pleskovic family.