Man Pleads Guilty to Killing ASU Student

Kyle Quentin Triplett, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the November 2005 death of 19-year-old Stephen Harrington, who was found in the smoldering trunk of his car on a road outside Boone.

The plea spared Triplett from a possible death sentence if he had been convicted of first-degree murder. Instead, Triplett was sentenced to 40 to 50 years in prison.

Matthew Brandon Dalrymple, 22, and Neil Matthew Sargeant, 26, are also charged in the case and will have separate trials.

Court documents say Harrington was involved in a cocaine deal with his accused killers.

Authorities said Harrington's head and arms were bound with duct tape, and his body was set on fire in the trunk of the car. A medical examiner said Harrington died of asphyxiation.