Thirty-four-year-old Julius Wise, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder Tuesday on the second day of his trial in Montgomery County Court. He had also been charged with second-degree murder in the January 2009 death of 58-year-old /*Robert Chae*/.
Prosecutors say Wise helped plan the robbery during which Chae suffocated in the garage of his North Wales home after being bound with duct tape.
Defense attorney Leigh Narducci says a plea made sense because Wise could have faced a life sentence if convicted of second-degree murder.
Two of three defendants were convicted and are serving life terms; the third was acquitted. Three others, including Chae's nephew, reached plea deals.