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Final Suspect Pleads In Murder Of MSU Student Who Jumped From Moving SUV On Freeway

ST. JOHNS, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A third person charged in the slaying of a 19-year-old Michigan State University student has pleaded guilty in the case.

Seventeen-year-old Brendan Heim made his plea Wednesday in Clinton County Circuit Court to first-degree murder in the Feb. 15 death of Dustyn Frolka.

During the hearing, Heim extended his "deepest condolences" to Frolka's family, the Lansing State Journal reported.

"If I could, I'd switch places with him," Heim said. He faces between 32 and 60 years in prison when sentenced Nov. 24.

Frolka was beaten and robbed before he jumped from an SUV on I-69 in Bath Township. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Prosecutors have said illegal drug money was a motive for the robbery.

Eighteen-year-old Tyrel Bredernitz pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder. Under the plea agreement, Bredernitz is expected to serve at least 15 to 25 years in prison before he's eligible for parole. Sentencing is Nov. 10.

Samantha Grigg, also 18, was sentenced earlier this year to spend six to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and unarmed robbery.

Grigg testified in Clinton County Circuit Court that she, Bredernitz and Heim traveled to East Lansing with plans to beat up and rob Frolka, although she didn't say how they knew him. Grigg told the court that she drove Frolka to ATMs before the others started beating him.

Bredernitz recounted the incident through yes or no questions asked by his lawyer, saying he was in the front seat of the SUV driven by Grigg. Heim, who was 16 at the time, admitted he beat Frolka with brass knuckles while the two were in the back seat.

At some point, Frolka opened the door and either fell or jumped out of the SUV, which was going between 45 and 60 MPH, Grigg testified. She said she pulled over and Heim and Bredernitz got out of the vehicle and took clothing and money from Frolka. He was left to die on the side of the road as the trio sped away in the SUV.

Dustyn Frolka
Dustyn Frolka (Handout photo)

Frolka was a talented rapper but "had been on kind of a downward spiral" since the fall, according to fellow hip-hop musician Blake Selby. Selby told reporters that he signed Frolka to the Lansing-based label he runs, though they later parted ways.

MSU police arrested Frolka for cocaine possession on Jan. 31, according to court records. He was then kicked out of his dorm because of actions that were deemed a threat to the safety of other residents, the university said.

According to Frolka's Twitter page, the student mentioned drug use in the hours before his death, tweeting "I've never done DMT and tonight is about to change s***." DMT acts as an intense hallucinogenic drug when ingested.

[Complete Coverage: Dustyn Frolka Murder Trial]

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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