ERIE — Brian Shields pleaded no contest to January 2013 felony murder of Cristy Wiles, Chanute, in Neosho County District Court here on Thursday.
The plea comes after his co-defendant, Michelle Voorhees, pleaded no contest Jan. 15 to a charge of second-degree murder and agreed to testify against Shields, the Chanute Tribune reported.
Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston told the court if the case went to trial the state would be able to show beyond a reasonable doubt that on Jan. 25 Shields and Voorhees entered the house at 221 N. Lafayette to retrieve items that had been stolen from Voorhees. They carried with them what Thuston described as a “black powder pipe bomb.”
Thuston said Shields placed the explosive on a mattress and lit the fuse. Anticipating it would explode, Shields pushed Voorhees out of the house and ran out of the house himself. The device did not explode, but burned, destroying the house.
Wiles’ body was found days later when the house was razed. An autopsy revealed the primary cause of death was smoke inhalation.
Voorhees pleaded no contest to charges of second degree murder, aggravated arson and aggravated burglary in the murder case.
Sentencing for Shields is scheduled for 2:30 Feb. 25 in Erie. Sentencing for Voorhees is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Feb. 19 in Erie.
No contest plea in Chanute case
