A Jacksonville police officer s ex-wife, arrested with him in July on charges of killing a convenience store owner in 1999, accepted a plea deal Friday in exchange for testifying against him, the State Attorney s Office said.
Melissa Jo Schafer, 51, jailed along with William Robert Baer Jr. on second-degree murder and armed-robbery charges, agreed to testify in the stabbing death of 39-year-old Saad Kawaf, the State Attorney s Office said.
With Public Defender Charlie Cofer at her side, a tearful Schafer confirmed her voluntary pleas to Circuit Court Judge Gilbert Feltel Jr. Are you entering these pleas of guilty because you did indeed commit these crimes,? Feltel asked.