Man pleads guilty in death of UNC student body president; feds drop death penalty pursuit

Guilty plea in death of UNC student president

GREENSBORO, N.C. — One of the men accused in the 2008 killing of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s student body president has pleaded guilty to federal charges in the case.

Demario Atwater pleaded guilty Monday to several charges, including carjacking resulting in death and kidnapping. In response, prosecutors agreed to drop plans to pursue the death penalty.

Eve Carson was found shot to death in a Chapel Hill neighborhood in March 2008. Authorities say the 22-year-old from Athens, Ga., was killed after watching as hundreds of dollars were withdrawn from her bank account at several ATMs.

Atwater still faces charges in state court along with Laurence Lovette, who was only 17 at the time of the killing and is ineligible for the death penalty.