A 74-year-old blind Florida man facing a first-degree criminal charge over a woman’s killing has offered to plead guilty and accept life imprisonment in exchange for a Philly cheesesteak, fries and a bottle of Pepsi.
Robert Kessler, who is also charged with abuse of a corpse, made the unusual request during a court hearing while discussing the possibility of resolving his case without a trial.
Kessler told the judge he was willing to accept a life sentence if he received a cheesesteak with onions and mayonnaise, an order of fries and a 20-ounce Pepsi.
Explaining his reasoning, he said, “Save the jury. Save the taxpayers.”
The judge, who said he had handled cases for nearly 40 years, expressed surprise at the request, explaining that he could not offer food as part of a plea agreement.
He described the proposal as “wrong in a thousand ways” but assured Kessler that he would receive lunch that day.
Following the judge’s refusal, Kessler withdrew his offer and opted to proceed with jury selection.
Kessler is accused of killing 47-year-old Stephanie Crone Overholt and dismembering her body.
He had initially chosen to represent himself in court but later changed his mind.
