A York County man who was charged with murder 6 years ago, has agreed to a plea deal on a lesser charge. Steven Tyler Benfield was charged in the 2015 murder of Jessica Stewart. Police say, Benfield stabbed Stewart to death and dumped her body in Blacksburg.
On Monday, he pled guilty to manslaughter. He was given a 15 year sentence on that charge, but was credited for time served since his arrest in 2015. Two of the deputies that worked the case were expected to testify but have since died.
The York County Solicitor's Office says the Sheriff's Office was consulted in the plea agreement. Stewart's family was livid with the lenient sentence given to Benfield and expressed their frustrations following Monday's verdict, saying they have lost all faith in the justice system
