Man pleads guilty in beating death of 95-year-old Anoka man
Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, March 6, 2018
ANOKA (AP) — A 28-year-old man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder while committing a felony for fatally beating a 95-year-old Anoka man.
Anoka County prosecutors said Isaiah Montrell Thomas admitted in court Tuesday that he entered the home of Albert Loehlein on Nov. 26, 2016, to commit a burglary. After he was confronted by Loehlein, Thomas used a flashlight and a clock to hit the victim several times, killing him.
The judge accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing for April 9.
Authorities said fingerprints in the victim’s blood-spattered bedroom and a clock recovered from a Maplewood pawnshop led investigators to Thomas. He was arrested within 48 hours of the murder.
Loehlein’s family said they support the decision to accept the first-degree murder plea, saying it helps bring them closure.