A 67-year-old Mt. Vernon man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday in Jefferson County Court to second-degree murder.
Peter Harris is the third person to plead or be found guilty to the death of 57-year-old Patrick Williamson at his home on South 15th Street in Mt. Vernon in March 2025. An autopsy showed Williamson died from blunt force trauma that had occurred the night before police were called.
Harris had originally been charged with two counts of first-degree murder involving a forcible felony (robbery), one count of concealing a homicidal death, and one count of obstructing justice in connection with the death.
61-year-old Laura Beneway earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death and received an identical 20-year sentence in Jefferson County Court last month.
A jury found 60-year-old Eddie Bennett of Mt. Vernon guilty of first-degree murder in June, with sentencing set for August.
