CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM) -
A former prison guard will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading no contest to second-degree murder in the shooting death of an Enola attorney at a North Middleton Township shooting two years ago.
The plea from 66-year-old Raymond Peake, of Hampden Township, came during a hearing in Cumberland County court Thursday morning.
He also pleaded no contest to theft by unlawful taking.
By pleading no contest, Peake admits no guilt, but does not dispute the charges. He also avoids the death penalty, which prosecutors planned to seek during a trial that was scheduled for next month.
Authorities say he shot 42-year-old Todd Getgen as the attorney was practicing at the shooting range on July 21, 2010. Getgen was shot 8-9 times; including several shots to the back, several to the front, and one to the head.
At the hearing, Peake shook his head when the judge asked if he had anything to say. He then broke down when the lawyer asked him to state the word "no."
Getgen's wife Stella gave a statement about loss of her husband. She did not look at Peake as she spoke.
Prosecutors have said the motive for the killing was the theft of Getgen's rifle, a custom AR-15, which was found in a storage locker rented by Peake, who was a corrections officer at the state prison in Camp Hill at the time of the murder.
According to court documents, Peake told police he found Getgen dead and took the rifle. He also told police he was collecting weapons to help an unnamed group overthrow the federal government, the documents state.
An alleged accomplice, Thomas Tuso of Duncannon, is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and receiving stolen property. Authorities have said Tuso, who was also a corrections officer at Camp Hill, stored stolen rifles for Peake at his home.
Raymond Peake
Todd Getgen
