Illinois man pleading guilty to ex-girlfriend’s murder in Dubuque

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) - Court documents show an Illinois man is pleading guilty in the death of his ex-girlfriend in Dubuque.

Police say 22-year-old Richard Forsythe stabbed and killed her, then left her body at the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

Prosecutors first charged Forsythe with first-degree murder, but court documents say he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder.

According to police, Forsythe stabbed 20-year-old Jennifer Lopez at least 15 times. Police found her body in the arboretum on February 1st. Investigators found Forsythe’s ankle bracelet at the crime scene.

He told police he’d recently contacted Lopez and had been in Dubuque.

Forsythe faces up to 50 years in prison. There is no date yet set for his sentencing.

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