CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man accused of killing his sister-in-law and two young nephews when he was 16 is set to plead guilty to second-degree murder charges Friday.
Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brother’s family in Northfield when prosecutors say he fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, 4-year-old Benjamin and 1-year-old Mason, in August 2022.
He was scheduled to go on trial on first-degree murder charges next month but instead will plead guilty to the lesser charges during a hearing in Merrimack County Superior Court. Sweeney, whose lawyers had considered raising an insanity defense, faces up to life in prison when sentenced at a later date.
According to prosecutors, Sweeney’s older brother, Sean, and his wife were serving as the teen’s g