Pocono News Section

Snyder County Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty

Snyder County Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty - Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 5:27PM EST

Middleburg, Snyder County-

The man accused in a Snyder county murder case entered his plea in court Wednesday afternoon in Middleburg.

Travis Graham, 26, pleaded guilty to third degree murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend's stepfather, 46-year-old Jeffrey Eugene Stock.

Family members say they've been devastated by the crime.

Snyder County District Attorney Michael Sholley noted, "Well whenever you have a loss, especially something that's sudden, unexpected, and violent, that has to be traumatic for anyone."

As part of Graham's plea agreement, he faces a maximum of 40 years in state prison.

Sholley explained, "The agreement with the Commonwealth was that the minimum would be 20 years."

The shooting happened on the night of March 22nd of this year. Here's what happened, according to the arrest papers.

Graham got into a verbal altercation with his girlfriend earlier in the day. He then drove out onto a road behind her stepfather Jeffrey Stock's house, and shot Stock with a high-powered rifle as he stood on the porch smoking a cigarette.

Graham later tried to hide and destroy the murder weapon. He told police he feared Stock and was only trying to scare him.

Sholley says he will not pursue the death penalty in this case, in part because the victim's family ok'd the plea agreement.

Sholley added, "We would not have gone down this road if it were not something that was acceptable to the family."

Graham is scheduled to be sentenced January 26th at 10:30AM at the Snyder County Courthouse.