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Derek Connell will not face death penalty if convicted in murder of mother and stepfather

Posted at 10:10 AM, Jan 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-10 13:53:57-05

Prosecutors have waived the death penalty for Derek Connell, who was arrested for the murder of his mother and stepfather in April 2016, 23ABC News has confirmed.

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Connell now faces the maximum sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted of the murders.

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Accused of killing Christopher Tare Higginbotham and Kim Higginbotham at their home on Lily Pad Court, just south of Olive Drive, Connell said "I think it was me," during questioning with police.

He was originally scheduled to begin his trial on February 27, 2017, but the trial was delayed until January 29, 2018.