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Man Pleads Guilty To Stabbing Death Of Trumbull Native On D.C. Subway

TRUMBULL, Conn. — The man who stabbed a Trumbull native to death on a subway in Washington, D.C., two years ago is facing three decades in prison after accepting a plea bargain Thursday, according to the Washington Post. 

Kevin Sutherland, a Trumbull native, was stabbed to death on July 4, 2015, in Washington, D.C.

Kevin Sutherland, a Trumbull native, was stabbed to death on July 4, 2015, in Washington, D.C.

Photo Credit: American University

Jasper Spires, 21, waived his right to trial and pleaded guilty to robbing and stabbing to death Kevin Sutherland with a knife on July 4, 2015, on a Metro train, the Post said. Spires, who was 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder while armed. 

Spires grabbed Sutherland's cellphone, then stabbed him repeatedly with a knife in front of horrified passengers on the train in the NOMA-Gallaudet Metro Station on Independence Day, police said.

Sutherland was declared dead at the scene after suffering over 30 stab wounds.

Sutherland, who had interned for U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, was the son of Doug and Terry Sutherland of Trumbull. He was a graduate of Trumbull High and American University.

At the time of his death, Sutherland worked as a digital strategist at New Blue Interactive in Washington, D.C., a boutique digital/new media strategy firm that specializes in helping Democratic candidates and causes.

Spires’ faces a prison sentence of 30 to 35 years, the Post said. If convicted, he would have faced a maximum sentence of life without parole. Spires is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 12.

“Two years on, we still grieve,’’ the Sutherlands said in a statement to the Connecticut Post. “We miss our son every day and we will never truly recover from this great loss that took so much from so many for no good reason.’’

The Sutherland family, with American University, has established a scholarship fund in Kevin's memory. Click here for more information. 

Click here for the story at the Washington Post. Click here for the story at the Connecticut Post. 

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