Adult Charged In Mt. Pleasant Teen's Death Decides Not To Accept Plea
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
MOUNT PLEASANT (KDKA) -- One of two adults charged in connection with a Mount Pleasant teenager's death have decided not to accept a plea deal.
Charged in connection with the murder of J.R. Gustavson, Brooke Nelson was supposed to enter a plea Tuesday in court, but that did not happen.
The victim's father says these new developments are fine with him.
Mark Gustavson lost his son on March 20, 2016.
Nelson is accused of giving the suspect, John Burnsworth, the pistol that killed J.R. For the victim's father, it's Nelson who is most responsible to the loss of his son.
"She was the adult in the house, and she provided the gun, and my son's no longer here," said Mark, J.R.'s father.
Nelson faces multiple child endangerment, as well as a weapons charges.
Burnsworth is in a rehabilitation facility, serving the terms of a juvenile plea agreement. The owner of the firearm, Joshua Hudec, pleaded guilty to weapons charges and is in prison.
Nelson's case will now go to trial.
"She deserves more than she would get with a plea deal," the victim's father said.
Judge Rita Hathaway told Nelson's attorney there will either be a plea agreement or a trial, but no more delays. The Gustavsons, meanwhile, wait till November and do what they've done since J.R.'s death, focus on family.
"We have other boys at home and we have to be there for the boys," Mark said.
