An 18-year-old Brookhaven man will spend much of the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to murder Monday morning in Lincoln County Circuit Court.

Lorenzo Washington, of Brookhaven, made no comment Monday when he pleaded guilty to the murder of his aunt, 81-year-old Marie Pendilton, at her 1337 Old Saint John’s Road home on Feb. 22, said Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins.

Watkins said the plea came after Assistant District Attorney Diane Jones presented the state’s version of events. She argued that Washington repeatedly struck Pendilton on the head with a hammer, but without premeditation.

“When (Judge David Strong) asked (Washington) if he believed the state could prove its case, he said he felt they could,” Watkins said.

Following the guilty plea, Strong sentenced Washington to life in prison. He will not be eligible for parole until the age of 65, she said.

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