By Monica Wepking, Editor Stephen Cournoyer III, 35 of Marty, pled guilty to manslaughter charges in Charles Mix County Court in Lake Andes on Wednesday, September 10, 2008. As part of entering his guilty plea, Cournoyer read a statement admitting he was at the scene of the crime (February 24, 2008 in Tammy Bruguier's apartment in Wagner) and committed the act that killed Michael Costello, 47 of Wagner and injured Tammy Bruguier, 42 of Wagner. Costello was found dead at the scene and Bruguier spent a month in a hospital with extensive head injuries. Charles Mix County States Attorney Scott Podhradsky has been quoted as saying that Cournoyer basically said, 'I grabbed the bat, and I believe I hit (Costello) three times.' Attorney Tim Whalen of Lake Andes, one of Cournoyer's defense attorneys said, "In the plea agreement the charge of homicide, a class A felony was reduced to a class C felony and the attempted murder charge, a class 2 felony, was reduced to aggravated assault a class 3 felony." On the original charges Cournoyer was facing a maximum of life imprisonment in the state penitentiary (no parole) plus 25 years and $100,000 in fines. The plea agreement knocks down his maximum time in the pen to life (with a possibility of parole) plus 15 years and $80,000 in fines. Charles Mix County Deputy States Attorney, Ken Cotton said, "The judge will take into consideration Cournoyer's prior assault charges, one being a felony, in his sentencing." Cournoyer's sentencing is scheduled for October 9 & 10, 2008, if the pre-sentence investigation is completed. If not, it is scheduled for December 29 & 30, 2008. Cournoyer remains in the Charles Mix County Jail in Lake Andes.