The man who shot and killed a Mandeville police captain after a car chase and crash in 2019 will serve the rest of his life in prison without parole after the captain's family agreed to a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table.
WWL-TV reports Mark Spicer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Vincent Liberto, Jr. He was in a car that sped away from a crash scene on US 190. Police say during that chase, Spicer got out of his car and fired shots into Liberto's police cruiser, killing him.
Liberto's widow, Tracey Liberto, said she and the Liberto Family agreed to the plea deal because they wanted to bring the case to an end after numerous delays. Tracey Liberto says her family contemplated perusing the death penalty, but they chose the plea deal to ensure this (quote) "monstrous individual remains behind bars for life." She also cited "changing perspectives" about capital punishment in her reasoning.
“The pain we’ve endured the last four years is immeasurable,” Tracey Liberto said. "While we had initially contemplated pursuing the death penalty during the trial for the person who took the life of my husband, we have come to realize the challenge and the uncertainties that come with it."
