A man has changed his plea to guilty to a murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of Trayveon Triplett at a Chicago Street apartment in Valparaiso in June.
Kuran Demetrius Kinley, 25, is pleading guilty to charges of murder with an enhancement because he used a firearm as a convicted felon, criminal recklessness and carrying a handgun without a permit.
Kinley is charged with murder in the shooting death of Triplett. Kinley, who lived in the same apartment complex, was upset with Triplett’s presence at the Chicago Street residence during the same time his child by his ex-girlfriend was there, according to court documents.
The plea agreement between Deputy County Prosecutor Kire Pavlovski and Mark Chargualaf, Kinley’s court-appointed attorney, was filed Wednesday with Judge Jeffrey Clymer of Porter Superior Court 2.
Sentencing, if Clymer accepts the plea agreement, has been set for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7.
Clymer has ordered a pre-sentence investigation.
The murder charge carries a potential sentence of 45 to 65 years. The enhancement carries a potential for 5 to 20 additional years.
Kinley had two prior felony convictions for battery in Lake County, which prohibited him from having a firearm.
The sentencing range connected with the other two Level 5 felony charges of criminal recklessness and carrying a handgun is 1 to 6 years.
Kinley is being held in the Porter County Jail.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.