Accused murderer plans to change plea

PALMER -- William T. Horsey III, the man accused of murdering 65-year-old Palmer resident Jane Sasseen, is expected to enter a no-contest plea to charges of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery at a hearing Wednesday. Public defender Greg Heath told Palmer Superior Court Judge Eric Smith about the plea agreement in court during pre-trial evidentiary proceedings Thursday.

Heath had been arguing that Horsey's confession -- from a tape-recorded interrogation performed by the Alaska State Troopers -- should not be admitted as evidence in the trial. Smith, after listening to the tape the previous evening and considering Heath's motion to suppress, told Heath he needed more information about the tape. But Smith also said Heath faced a long-shot in his argument to keep the confession out of court.

Heath then consulted with his client and told Smith that Horsey had agreed to enter a no-contest plea.

"He basically wants to withdraw the motion and enter a no-contest plea," Heath said. "He wants to accept responsibility and move on."

Horsey was facing 12 felony charges connected with Sasseen's killing last April. Sasseen was a widow who lived north of Palmer. She had lived in the area all of her life, having come to Palmer as an infant with her parents, Harold and Lucille Stephan, in 1938.

Sasseen was last seen alive on April 1. A family member checked on her at home on April 7, found the house ransacked and called police. Troopers responded, searched the house, and found Sasseen's body in a walk-in closet underneath some boxes and clothing, according to trooper reports. Troopers said Sasseen was shot three times with a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a weapon troopers believe they recovered later from a trailer at Horsey's property off Soapstone Road.

Investigators caught up to Horsey with help from local banks. Investigators found someone had been using Sasseen's debit card to withdraw cash at several automatic teller machines in downtown Palmer between April 2 and April 12, according to an affidavit filed in court by troopers. Usually, $500 was withdrawn each day, and troopers staked out several downtown ATMs between April 9 and 11, according to the affidavit.

During the stake-out, troopers spotted a vehicle registered to Horsey and later matched up bank surveillance video tapes with their own surveillance work, according to the affidavit. On April 12, a warrant was issued from the Palmer court to search Horsey's house, truck and person. During an interrogation at his home that day, troopers say Horsey confessed.

According to the affidavit, Horsey said he went to Sasseen's house intending to commit robbery and became impatient with Sasseen when she didn't produce money fast enough. He also admitted to using the debit card every day and said he used most of the money to buy drugs, troopers wrote in the affidavit.

Sasseen's relatives learned Horsey planned to change his plea when they arrived at the courthouse for pre-trial hearings Thursday. Family member Raymond A. Nesbett said relatives were surprised and relieved by the development.

"We knew just 10 minutes before the hearing," Nesbett said.

Horsey's change of plea is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 8:30 a.m. If he enters the no-contest plea, as expected, Smith will schedule Horsey for a sentencing at a later date. Nesbett said Sasseen's relatives will likely testify at the sentencing hearing, and some may testify telephonically from the Lower 48.

Some family members have read transcriptions of the confession, according to Nesbett, who said the troopers had told family members beforehand what they would find.

"But to read about it from his own mouth -- transcribed from his own words, was very different," Nesbett said. " … Because you look for reasons why he did it and you see that there may not be any."

Assistant district attorney Bob Collins told the court Thursday the state will argue for a sentence of 99 years, the maximum sentence for first-degree murder.