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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A New York man and his 49-year-old mother have pleaded guilty in the slaying of a man who was killed over a winning scratch-off lottery ticket.
The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office says 29-year-old James McCracken, of Rochester, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder in the slaying of 66-year-old Robert Pinckney. McCracken’s mother, Jacqueline Staples, pleaded guilty to a robbery charge.
Prosecutors say Staples was with Pinckney at his residence in September 2015 when she became aware that he had a winning scratch-off lottery ticket. She called her son, who arrived soon after and stabbed and bludgeoned Pinckney to death.
The mother and son later went to a nearby convenience store to cash the ticket. Officials declined to release the amount the winning ticket was worth.
McCracken will be sentenced March 13 to 20 years to life in prison. His mother will be sentenced the same day to eight years.
