DA: Book deal fuels Butler murderer's plea withdrawal

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A prosecutor says a New Jersey man's request to withdraw his no contest plea to charges that he murdered his father and stepmother at their western Pennsylvania home is a ploy to drive publicity for a book that his birth mother plans to write on the case.

That information emerged Thursday at a hearing in Butler County on Colin Abbott's request to withdraw the plea for which he's serving 35 to 80 years in prison.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger played a jail recording of a phone call between Abbott and his birth mother, Deborah Buchanan, discussing the book days before he filed the motion to withdraw his plea.

Buchanan, who was in court, confirmed she's writing a book, but denies the plea withdrawal is a ploy.

Abbott is from Randolph, N.J. and his mother from Rockaway.

WPXI