A northeastern Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder and arson charges in a fire that killed his sleeping father.
Forty-eight-year-old Kevin Brown entered the pleas Friday in Lackawanna County Court in the November 2013 death of 78-year-old James Brown in Scranton.
Authorities said he told police that he set the fire because the older man often made mistakes writing checks.
The (Scranton) Times-Tribune reports that defense attorney John Lawler said his client has a "severe mental illness," though he declined to specify the illness.
First District Attorney Gene Talerico said the plea allows a sentence that addresses a defendant's mental health needs.
Lawler said Brown will remain incarcerated but could be sent to a state prison equipped with better mental health rehabilitation capabilities.
Arsonist Who Killed Father Pleads Guilty But Mentally Ill: Officials
Copyright AP - Associated Press
