Veronica Robinson, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – A man who police say shot and killed a University of Maryland student last year entered a ‘not guilty statement of fact’ plea Friday and objected to his earlier confession being used at trial.

Police say Deandre Ricardo Williams, 24, shot Justin DeSha Overcash, 22, several times on Jan. 11, 2011 in an attempted robbery that turned deadly.

The prosecution says Williams and an accomplice, Stephan Weaver, planned to steal money and marijuana from Overcash when they went to his off-campus apartment. However, when Overcash threw a glass jar at Williams in a struggle over the gun, Williams shot him.

Earlier, Williams confessed to the murder. Weaver, who prosecutors say drove the getaway car, testified against him. Williams objected to his confession being introduced into evidence.

A ‘not guilty statement of fact’ means the defendant is pleading not guilty to the crime, but will proceed on agreed statements of facts. As part of the plea deal, Williams could get a maximum of life in prison with all but 60 years suspended when he was sentenced in April.

Weaver is to be sentenced next month.

Karen DeSha, Overcash’s mother, says her son was not a drug dealer.

“College kids do smoke marijuana,” she says. “I’d be a fool if I did not think that my son may have tried marijuana, but he’s got an awful lot of friends who are saying they never saw him smoke and they said they definitely know that he wasn’t dealing. My son only had $59 in his checking account.”

Overcash’s murder was among the 13 homicides in Prince George’s County that happened in the first 13 days of 2011.

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