The man who allegedly raped and killed a young Northern Liberties waitress is prepared to plead guilty to the crime when he appears in court next month.
Neither 18-year-old Donte Johnson or his lawyers appeared at a pretrial hearing in Philadelphia court Thursday but they did send a note to the court that Johnson planned to plead guilty on Dec. 10 to raping and murdering the 20-year-old as she was returning home in June.
At an earlier hearing Johnsons was shaking and crying during the court proceeding, reported the Inquirer.
Johnson is accused of beating, raping and strangling 20-year-old Sabina Rose O’Donnell and leaving her in a vacant lot next to her Northern Liberties home on June 2. A passerby found Sabina’s body the next morning.
Police previously stated that Johnson confessed to the murder, saying that it happened because he wanted to steal her bike.
The violent murder sent shockwaves through the NoLibs community where O'Donnell lived and worked. It also set off a manhunt for the young man responsible.
A tip call from a woman who watched the surveillance video released by police released told investigators Johnson’s identity, but it was the teen's mother who arranged for her son to turn himself into police.
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