YELLVILLE — A judge has rejected a man's request to withdraw his guilty plea in the killings of a Midway couple.
Nicholas Roos pleaded guilty in May to capital murder, arson, aggravated robbery and other charges in the 2015 killings of Donald and Ladonna Rice. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
A month later, Roos filed a handwritten motion seeking to withdraw his plea, arguing that his decision to plead guilty was coerced and that he did not receive effective legal counsel. The Baxter Bulletin reported that Circuit Court Judge Gordon Webb ruled Wednesday that Roos could not withdraw his plea.
Authorities say Roos shot Donald and Ladonna Rice then set their house and truck on fire.