MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 24-year-old Minneapolis man pleaded guilty Thursday to brutally killing an elderly man last February and slashing his wife’s throat, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
Leon Henry Anderson is expected to receive a 38-year prison sentence for murder and attempted murder charges. Three other charges, including first-degree murder, were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Anderson admitted to killing 79-year-old Richard Webb on Feb. 28, 2012. When answering questions from his lawyer, Anderson said he knew Webb and had been hired to shovel the sidewalk of his Richfield home. But when he was inside the home, Anderson said he became angry and hit Webb several times in the head. He then picked up a knife and slit the man’s throat.
Anderson also admitted to going after Webb’s wife, intending to kill her by slicing her throat. She survived the attack, but was alone in the house for two days before help arrived.
A sentencing hearing is slated for June 11. Anderson, as part of the deal, agreed that his crimes deserve a harsher penalty from the 28-year sentence spelled out by state guidelines.
