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NJ man who killed father, stepmom files motion to withdrawal plea

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A New Jersey man charged with the 2011 murders of his father and stepmother in Butler County has filed a motion to withdraw the plea he made in late February.

Colin Abbott, 42, filed the handwritten plea on Monday. In it, he states he was rushed into making a plea and describes various disagreements with his lawyer.

On Feb. 26, Abbott avoided a possible death sentence with his no-contest plea to two counts of third-degree murder, and a judge sentenced him to 35 to 80 years in prison.

Related Story:  Man gets 35 to 80 years for killing dad, stepmom in Butler Co.

Abbott was charged with killing Kenneth and Celeste Abbott for their money in July 2011 and scattering their burned remains on their sprawling estate in Brady.

He told relatives that his father and stepmother died in a fiery traffic crash in New Jersey, according to court documents, but police had no record of it.

Because of the slayings, the Abbotts' estates have not been settled.

This article was written by Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE.