An Anchorage man accused of killing his girlfriend last summer has changed his plea to guilty.
Joshua Almeda, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of 20-year-old Breanna Moore Thursday.
Almeda was supposed to go to trial Aug. 3. Instead, a sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 22 and 23 in front of Judge Philip Volland.
Moore was killed on June 26 of last year. She was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in Almeda’s parents’ Hillside home.
Almeda originally told police he did not shoot Moore.
A grand jury indicted Almeda on charges of both first- and second-degree murder. By agreeing to plead guilty to second-degree murder, Almeda could face a sentence between 10 and 99 years.
Since their daughter’s death, Moore’s parents have pushed for increased education on teen dating violence. They were present at Almeda’s change of plea hearing.
“At this point, he’s admitted to killing Bree,” said Moore’s father, Butch. “And that’s what we’ve all known … I think to try and go in front of a jury with the evidence that is there, there was no chance of him avoiding murder 1.”
Moore’s mother, Cindy, says she is one step closer to getting justice for her daughter.
“She was an amazing person and she didn’t deserve this,” she said.
–Lauren Maxwell contributed reporting.
