Second Suspect Pleads Guilty In Carrick Group Home Fatal Beating

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Malik Crosby, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter before Judge Jeffrey Manning on Monday afternoon.

Crosby told the court, "I'm very sorry for what I've done and what happened."

Crosby's plea brings the 2014 homicide case to a close. Co-defendant, 17-year-old Yusuf Shepard, already pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and conspiracy.

Crosby was set to go to trial, but in a pretrial hearing, the Court found there was not enough evidence to support a murder charge.

The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office made a plea agreement with him and the court accepted it. Crosby will receive credit for the two years he has already served in jail and spend the next 18 months on probation.

Nicholas Grant, 16, is the victim in the case. His mother Leslie Grant declined to do an interview after the plea.

In a letter to the Court, she said her son was "a smart, intelligent young man."

Grant also said, "I am left with a gaping hole in my heart that will never be filled."

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In January of 2014, Grant was found unresponsive at the Circle C Group Home in Carrick, after being beaten by Crosby and Shepard.

According to police, the defendants were told to stop, but even when Grant was turning purple and blue they continued, with Shepard putting him in a chokehold and Crosby stomping and kicking him.

Grant was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital and put on life support. He died three days later.