Christopher Cannon

A Butler man who stabbed another man to death in December 2016 is expected to be sentenced to more than 17 years in prison at the end of the month, after pleading guilty to third-degree homicide.

The plea agreement entered into by Christopher M. Cannon, 28, calls for a total sentence of 17¾ years to 42¼ years in prison, when he is sentenced on July 31. He is also expected to be ordered to pay restitution, fines and court costs.

Cannon pleaded guilty June 29 to third-degree homicide and three counts of felony theft before Judge William Shaffer.

In Pennsylvania, third-degree murder involves a killing that shows an indifference to one's own actions potentially causing another person's death. It carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

Cannon initially was charged with homicide, felony robbery, three counts of theft, two counts of access device fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and misdemeanor theft, after being charged in the killing of James S. Martin, 74, on Dec. 30, 2016, in Martin's East Butler home on Tenth Street, after the two had met following a Craigslist interaction.

State police said Martin had made a posting on Craigslist, to which Cannon responded via email and sent a sexually explicit photograph of himself, before arranging a meeting at Martin's home.

A friend visiting Martin for a breakfast date the next day found him dead on the kitchen floor. An autopsy ruled that he died of multiple stab wounds to the head, neck, chest and back.

Cannon's girlfriend was interviewed by police, according to the complaint, and identified Cannon as the person in the sexually explicit photograph that was sent to Martin. She told police the photograph had been taken in her living room, based on the coffee table and other objects in the background.

By looking at cell phone records investigators learned that Cannon's cell phone was in the East Butler area at 4:28 p.m. Dec. 30, when he made a call that used the Lick Hill cell tower.

Police say blood samples taken from inside Martin's house and samples taken from a pair of jeans seized at Cannon's home on Mercer Street found DNA belonging to both Martin and Cannon, as well as a third, unknown, person.

Police allege that Cannon took numerous valuable items from Martin's house, including three firearms, gold jewelry and two of his bank cards.

Cannon and Raheem R. Archer, 23, of Butler Township were arrested by police in January for allegedly attempting to use two bank cards bearing Martin's name to make purchases at Giant Eagle in Center Township; Walmart and Sheetz, both in Butler Township; the Longhorn Corral in Franklin Township; and a Giant Eagle in Beaver County.

Archer previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property and is awaiting sentencing of two years of county probation.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Lope declined to comment on the case pending sentencing, but said that Martin's death was a “tragedy” and commended state police on their “excellent job” in investigating the case.

Cannon's attorney, Al Lindsay, did not return multiple calls for comment.