A man from Pennsylvania has pleaded no contest to charges related to the murder of his father and stepmother with a sword at their home in Pennsylvania almost five years ago. Levar Fountain, aged 43, entered the pleas for third-degree murder charges in York County Court, effectively avoiding a trial which was supposed to commence this week. The more severe first-degree murder charges, which could have led to a mandatory life sentence without parole, were dismissed. Fountain is set for sentencing on November 8th.
Reports state that Fountain confessed to authorities that he had stopped taking his schizophrenia medication when the killings occurred in December 2019 at the York home where the trio resided. The sword believed to have been used in the murders was discovered in his bedroom. Fountain allegedly moved the bodies to the basement, left a note on the front door claiming the victims had relocated to Florida, and secluded himself in his room for three days. He also admitted to authorities that he killed the victims’ dogs, explaining they were perceived as “God” spelled backwards, which he believed made them inferior dragons that needed to be eliminated.
According to The York Dispatch, several family members expressed doubts to the newspaper about Fountain being responsible due to his mental health condition. His sister, Caren Fountain, mentioned that he had informed her a few days before entering the plea that he had no recollection of committing the crime and insisted he would never harm the victims.
Although defense attorney Clasina Houtman declined to comment, she noted that her office had prepared to use an insanity defense had the case gone to trial. However, it was Fountain’s decision not to proceed to trial. A no-contest plea means that the defendant does not admit guilt but recognizes that prosecutors possess adequate evidence for a conviction. Attorneys and legal proceedings concurred that Fountain’s mental state at the time hindered his memory of the events surrounding the deaths.
