By Ted Waddell and Dan Hust
MONTICELLO — After discussing it with his lawyer and Sullivan County District Attorney Steve Lungen, accused murderer Anthony Schroedel pled guilty yesterday to 16 counts regarding the 1999 death of Eldred resident Barbara Vogt and the serious injury of her 11-year-old son, J.T.
One of those counts included first-degree murder, for which Lungen was seeking the death penalty. Upon a conversation with the Vogt family (who wanted closure to the case), he withdrew that attempt once Schroedel made his plea in front of Sullivan County Court Judge Frank LaBuda yesterday morning in Monticello.
At a press conference afterwards, Lungen said he was pleased with the outcome of what had amounted to a 21-month investigation.
Calling the 42-year-old Schroe-del’s fatal stabbing on June 21, 1999 of Barbara Vogt and the slashing of her son “one of the most brutal [crimes] I’ve ever seen,” Lungen said Schroedel, also of Eldred, would be sentenced on May 17 to life in prison without parole for the first-degree murder of Barbara Vogt and two sentences of 25 years to life without parole for the second-degree murder of Barbara and the attempted murder of J.T.
He added that, although Schroedel’s competency to stand trial was not a consideration, the matter of his mental retardation was discussed with his staff prior to making a decision.