JACKSON, Tenn. (AP, abc24.com) - A state prison inmate has been sentenced to life in prison for killing two men during robberies in Jackson, including one that took place nearly 14 years ago.
Walter Stitts pleaded guilty Monday to murder in perpetration of a robbery in the deaths of 71-year-old Cornelius Martinez and 31-year-old James Gruggett.
The 49-year-old Stitts was indicted in July after an investigation by the Jackson Police Department's cold case unit.
Martinez's body was found in the trunk of his car in July 1998. He had been strangled.
Gruggett's body was found in Muse Park in September 2008. He died of traumatic asphyxia.
Stitts is eligible for parole in 51 years. He already had been serving 15 years for robbing and attempting to strangle a man in Muse Park.
