Keith Jordan Lambing

A 22-year-old Butler man pleaded guilty Monday morning to killing a 4-year-old boy in 2017, just days after his defense argued it would be difficult to select a fair and impartial jury for his upcoming trial.

Keith Jordan Lambing unexpectedly accepted a plea deal Monday offered by the Butler County District Attorney's Office. Under the agreement, Lambing pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, all felonies. The plea deal calls for a prison sentence of 30 to 60 years. In accepting the plea deal, Lambing admitted to killing Bentley Thomas Miller, but is absolved from sexually assaulting the child, which was alleged in the government's original criminal complaint.

According to an autopsy, Bentley died March 21, 2017 from blood loss after suffering internal injuries. At the time, Bentley and Lambing were staying at a Super 8 Motel with Bentley's mother, Mackenzie Paige Peters, according to police. Prosecutors originally alleged the injuries were the result of a sexual assault.

The (district attorney) made a plea offer we found acceptable,” said Kevin Flaherty, who heads the public defender's office. “Mr. Lambing found it acceptable, and we felt it was an absolutely fair resolution of the case. Mr. Lambing was always willing to take responsibility for his actions. We felt this offer reflects his responsibility and a level of his responsibility in that it was never an intentional act.”

Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz, who prosecuted the case, said she had previously made this offer to Lambing.

“The family was happy with this deal,” she said of the victim's family — specifically, the father. “They didn't want this to be in the media anymore.”

Read more in Tuesday's Butler Eagle.