Man pleads guilty to murder of Army combat veteran in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A suspect in the murder of a U.S. Army combat veteran in El Paso has pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.
Brandon Olsen is one of five people who initially faced capital murder charges in Tyler Croke's death.
Croke was murdered on May 7, 2017. He was attacked while showering at a friend's apartment in east El Paso; Croke was held at gunpoint, then stabbed to death. One of the suspects also slit his throat.
The murder of Tyler Croke and the wait for justice was the subject of the Borderland Crimes podcast episode in May 2022. Click here to listen
On Monday, a plea hearing was held. Olsen's attorney said he pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of murder.
The range of punishment is between 5 to 99 years, or life in prison with the possibility of parole.
The criminal act involved four men and a woman. They are Tristan Chilton, Adam Acosta, Zachary Johnston, Brandon Olsen, and Stephanie Fernandez.
Fernandez, who served as the driver for the group, was convicted of capital murder in 2018.
With Olsen's agreement, this means the rest of the suspects accepted plea deals, including Acosta and Chilton on April 15.
Johnston accepted a deal in 2019, pleading guilty to murder. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
Sentencing for Olsen is scheduled for May 17, 2024.
