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Arizona Man Pleads Guilty In Wisconsin Murder Of MN Man

SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) -- An Arizona man has pleaded guilty in a Wisconsin murder two weeks before a jury trial was scheduled to begin.

Juan Padilla or Fort Mohave, Arizona, changed his plea Monday to guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. The 42-year-old is charged in the shooting death of 46-year-old Terrance Luukkonen of Duluth, Minnesota. It happened at Genesis Attachments in Superior on May 23.

Padilla pleaded not guilty to the charge in July 2013.

His defense attorney tells KDLH-TV that Padilla doesn't want to have to go through a public trial.

Padilla will be sentenced in October. First degree murder is punishable by life in prison under Wisconsin law.

The Douglas County district attorney will recommend he be eligible for parole after 20 years in prison as part of the plea deal.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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