Jeffries Pleads Guilty, Receives Life Sentences

The Fredericksburg man charged with killing an elderly couple in The Plains in February was sentenced Tuesday in Fauquier County Circuit Court.

John Wesley Jeffries, 60, pleaded guilty on two counts of capital murder, two counts of abduction and two counts of strangulation, according to Fauquier Now.  His plea agreement prevented a possible death sentence.  Instead, Jeffries received two life sentences plus 165 years.  The sentence is legally structured to prevent any possibility of parole.

"Our family fully supports the plea agreement to Capital Murder where the defendant is guaranteed to die in prison for this terrible crime," wrote Michael Slack in a statement of family members.  "In major part, we support this resolution because it spares our family from having to go through a lenghty and painful trial."

Jefferies killed Nelson and Ethel Slack in their home in The Plains.  The couple's bodies were discovered by Fauquier sheriff’s deputies after friends requested a 'wefare check' when the couple did not show up for church.

Related stories:

• John Wesley Jeffries Could Face Death Penalty (3.26.13)

• Sheriff's Office: Charges Against Jeffries Expected (3.14.13)

• Jeffries Held on Outstanding Felony Arrest Warrants (2.28.13)

• John Wesley Jeffries Apprehended in Connection with Double Homicide (2.27.13)

• Assault in Fredericksburg May Be Related to Jeffries, Wanted for Double Homicide Investigation (2.25.13)

• Double Homicide Investigation: Police Searching for John Wesley Jeffries (2.25.13)