A man pleaded guilty Monday to charges of theft as police continue to investigate the unsolved 2013 death of a Duluth man.
Robert Craig Sandman was arrested April 7, 2013, in New Mexico for the theft of Donald Singer's Porsche and admitted in a Gwinnett County court that prosecutors could convict him on that charge, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Sandman also admitted there was enough evidence to convict him of stealing Singer’s money, and in exchange for the plea, charges of concealing a death were dropped, Channel 2 said.
Singer, 57, was last seen alive March 23, 2013. His daughter discovered him wrapped in blankets inside his garage March 27 and his car was missing.
Sandman has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, with nine to serve, according to Channel 2. He was on probation when he stole Singer’s car and money, and he has yet to be sentenced on the violation charges, the TV station said.
Sandman was initially arrested for public drunkenness outside a Pueblo Indian gaming casino in Sandoval County, New Mexico. Police located Singer's 1988 Porsche 944 in the casino's parking lot. Sandman was arrested but mistakenly released after a miscommunication between law enforcement agencies. He was re-arrested Oct. 14 by Albuquerque narcotics detectives executing a search warrant at a home where he was staying.
The day before Singer’s death, Sandman was released from state prison in Jackson after serving a brief sentence for the aggravated stalking of his ex-girlfriend Kathy Richie. She told Channel 2 she believes Sandman was looking for her after his release.
“He’s evil,” she said. “I pray every night that something is going to come up, whether it be new evidence found or something that they overlooked.”
Capt. Mark Hunter, of the Duluth police department, told Channel 2 the investigation into Singer’s death is still open and other charges could be brought against Sandman.
There is evidence “at the crime lab and we’ve requested a number of tests and we are still awaiting the outcome,” he said.
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