Huerstel makes a deal, pleads guilty to 3 Pizza Hut killings

As a packed courtroom watched, Huerstel clearly announced "Guilty" three times — once for each of the victims he admitted "knowingly and intentionally" killing on Jan. 17, 1999.

The plea agreement calls for Huerstel to receive 25 years in prison April 23. He will receive eight years credit for the time he's already spent in custody but will have to serve every day of the 17 years remaining on his sentence.

Huerstel and Kajornsak "Tom" Prasertphong were charged with shooting Pizza Hut employees Robert Curry, 44, Melissa Moniz, 20, and James Bloxham, 17, during an unsuccessful robbery attempt.

Bloxham, who was shot five times, and Curry, who was shot twice, died at the scene. Moniz, who was shot twice as well, died a short time later at a hospital.

Members of the Bloxham and Curry families said they aren't happy Huerstel will be set free at the age of 42 but feared the jury would not be able to reach a unanimous decision or worse, would acquit Huerstel.

"Nobody was happy with it," said Barbara Bloxham, James Bloxham's mother.

"But it's a whole lot better than seeing him walking free. We were afraid he'd get away with everything," Dan Bloxham, James' father, added.

Huerstel's tears didn't impress the Bloxhams or Kathy Weir, Curry's sister.

"I think it was fear for what he's facing," Dan Bloxham said.

"The tears were basically Huerstel feeling sorry for himself, because he has no remorse," Weir said. "Somehow he's been able to block from his mind what he did."

Prasertphong, 19 at the time of the slayings, and Huerstel, then 17, each blamed the other for the slayings. But both were convicted in September 2000 and sentenced to death for killing Moniz and Bloxham, and to life without parole in Curry's death.

Huerstel's conviction was overturned in 2003. During his second trial in October 2005, jurors acquitted him of first-degree murder but couldn't reach a unanimous verdict on second-degree murder, prompting prosecutor Rick Unklesbay to take him to trial for a third time.

Thursday's plea agreement, which came midway through that trial, pleased neither Huerstel's family nor the families of the victims.

As the 25-year-old was led out of Judge Frank Dawley's courtroom, his supporters called out "I know you're innocent" and "I understand, buddy, that's OK."

Outside the courtroom, Huerstel's mother, Stacey Sage, and aunt, Kathleen Hart, proclaimed Huerstel's innocence. They insisted the evidence proves Prasertphong was solely responsible for the triple slaying and Huerstel only pleaded guilty because he was scared about spending the rest of his life in prison.

Family members were not allowed to meet with Huerstel before he entered his pleas, the pair complained.

"All Bo is guilty of is eating chicken wings with Tommy," Hart cried.

Huerstel's defense attorneys, James Stuehringer and Laura Udall, have been discussing the possibility of a plea with Unklesbay for the last month.

The differences in the way the evidence came out during the three trials prompted them to decide a plea agreement was appropriate, Stuehringer and Unklesbay agreed.

Unklesbay feared a hung jury and Stuehringer feared a conviction.

Huerstel faced up to 66 years had he been convicted, Stuehringer said.

"Now he'll do his time, he'll get out and he'll live the life that's ahead of him," Stuehringer said.

Unklesbay said he met with the victims' family members for three hours before Huerstel entered his guilty pleas. Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall also participated in the meeting, he said.

"Nobody is happy, but this is the best solution for us and obviously the defense thought it was the best solution for them, too," Unklesbay said.

"It's over now," Barbara Bloxham said. "Hearing him say 'Guilty' three times, it's over for me."

Weir agreed.

"In some ways it is a relief, but there will never be any 'closure' because this wasn't buying a house. There is no closure, there's just learning to live with what's happened," Weir said.