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Published August 28, 2009, 08:10 AM

Man reaches plea deal in death

A Dunseith man accused of killing one daughter and abusing another has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in which he will avoid life in prison. Twenty-four-year-old James Haggerty was indicted earlier on five charges including second-degree murder in the March death of his 3-month-old daughter. Authorities allege he threw, squeezed and shook the child.

MINOT (AP) — A Dunseith man accused of killing one daughter and abusing another has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in which he will avoid life in prison.

Twenty-four-year-old James Haggerty was indicted earlier on five charges including second-degree murder in the March death of his 3-month-old daughter. Authorities allege he threw, squeezed and shook the child. Haggerty later also was charged with abusing a 2-year-old daughter.

Haggerty was to go on trial Sept. 1 in Minot. He is now scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing on Sept. 3. The plea agreement filed with the court said he has agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and one count of child abuse.

The agreement said Haggerty will admit throwing the baby against a wall and also abusing the 2-year-old. Prosecutors will recommend he be sentenced to 30 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and pay an unspecified amount of restitution.

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