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Chili’s Double Homicide Guilty Plea

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – In a shocking turn of events, 35-year-old William D. Wood Jr. of Syracuse has entered a guilty plea to three federal felonies related to the brutal double homicide at the Chili’s Grill and Bar in Dewitt, New York in September 2018.

According to the plea agreement, Wood admitted to planning and carrying out the armed robbery of the Chili’s restaurant, where he held four employees at gunpoint and shot and killed two of them, Stephen Gudknecht and Kristopher Hicks. Wood’s gun malfunctioned as he attempted to shoot another employee, allowing that person and a fourth employee to escape.

Wood’s sentencing is scheduled for December 29, 2021 before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in Binghamton, New York. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on the robbery conviction and life on each of the two firearms offenses, which must be served consecutively.

Notably, Wood was previously sentenced to life without parole in Onondaga County Court for related state crimes, including two counts of Murder in the First Degree. He will serve his state sentence first, and if ever released by New York State, he would be surrendered to federal custody to serve any undischarged portion of his federal term of imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the ATF, the Town of Dewitt Police Department, and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa M. Fletcher and Michael D. Gadarian.

Wood’s guilty plea brings closure to the families of the victims and serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of violent crime. As this paper continues to investigate the case, we will provide updates on any developments.

By [Author’s Name], Crime Reporter, Grimy Times