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Woman accused in Tucson murder pleads guilty to manslaughter

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A woman who prompted a nationwide manhunt after escaping custody with her husband in 2019 has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a Tucson murder case. Prosecutors say 61-year-old Susan Barksdale entered into a plea agreement Wednesday and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10. Her 58-year-old husband, Blane Barksdale, still is facing a first-degree murder charge and has a scheduled plea hearing Friday in Pima County Superior Court. The couple was charged in the disappearance of 72-year-old Frank Bligh, whose Tucson home burned down in an April 2019 explosion and fire. The Barksdales were arrested in New York in May 2019, but escaped from a transport van during extradition to Tucson three months later. The couple avoided capture for 16 days before being re-arrested in northern Arizona.

Article Topic Follows: AP Arizona

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