CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man accused of killing his sister-in-law and two young nephews when he was 16 pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder charges.

Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brother’s family in Northfield for several years 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 pleaded guilty to the lesser charges in Merrimack County Superior Court, speaking only to briefly confirm his understanding of the proceedings. 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 o

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