Man pleads in slaying of father, stepmom; Avoids death penalty

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A New Jersey landscaper who killed his father and stepmother in Brady Township has pleaded no contest to third-degree murder.

Colin Abbott, 42, of Randolph, N.J. entered the pleas on Tuesday. Authorities said Abbott dismembered the bodies and scattered the remains on the family property in Butler County.

The remains of 65-year-old Kenneth Abbott, a pharmaceutical executive with a multimillion-dollar estate, and 55-year-old Celeste Abbott were found in July 2011. Prosecutors said that money was a factor in the killings.

Abbott is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, and as part of the plea deal he will avoid the death penalty.

Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 35 to 80 years.

WPXI