CAPE GIRARDEAU (AP) - A southeast Missouri judge has refused to accept a former Marine's guilty plea to charges related to a shootout with police in June 2012, saying he wasn't convinced the Gulf War veteran truly thought he was guilty.
Lawrence Guthrie, 47, is charged with domestic assault, armed criminal action and assault on a law enforcement officer. He was scheduled for a pretrial conference Friday but after several discussions, Guthrie's attorney said he was ready to accept a plea bargain, the Southeast Missourian reported.
The deal would require Guthrie to plead guilty to three counts of first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer in exchange for a 15-year prison sentence on each count, to run concurrently.
Police say Guthrie shot at his wife - and later police - during a dispute on June 13, 2012. Police said Guthrie began shooting when they arrived and shot himself in the head before he could be captured.
Guthrie's lawyer, Bryan Greaser, has suggested that his client is not responsible for his actions because he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
After Greaser announced the proposed plea bargain, Cape Girardeau County circuit judge Benjamin Lewis asked Guthrie if he thought it was a satisfactory deal.
"I'm taking it, sir, but it's not to my satisfaction," Guthrie replied, saying he thought the sentence was too long.
Guthrie said at the hearing that he has no memory of the events of the shootout because he was undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and was taking "at least 12 to 13 medications when this all happened." He said he doubted that he had shot at officers because, as a former Marine rifle instructor, it's unlikely he would have missed from 100 to 150 yards away.
Lewis told him he could go to trial instead, but if found guilty he could face a sentence of 30 years or more. The judge told Guthrie that if he could not say for sure he was guilty, he could enter an Alford plea that acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction, Lewis said.
After a short break, Lewis said he was not inclined to accept Guthrie's plea bargain.
The judge said the case remains set for trial for March 11, but Guthrie could come back with another plea before then if he wanted.