Teen Gets New Plea Deal After Conviction Thrown Out

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A teen who was convicted of first-degree murder will now face a shorter prison sentence, after his conviction was thrown out and he reached a new plea deal.

In May 2007, a jury convicted Corey Odol, now 19, in the death of Chad Sullivan. Odol was 15 at the time of the June 2005 killing. Odol was a key witness in the trial of Henry Myers, the accused ringleader in Sullivan's murder. A jury convicted Myers of first-degree murder in November. He was then sentenced to life in prison without parole last month. Odol also testified against Myers in a separate murder trial in which he was convicted.

Because of that cooperation, prosecutors requested that Odol's conviction be thrown out. Monday, Judge Linda McCallum complied with that request. Odol then pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The first-degree murder conviction would have meant a sentence of life in prison without parole.