A Homer man pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in the death of Mark Matthews nearly a decade ago.
In 2013, Matthews, 61, was found dead from severe head trauma on the Boys Town Trail in Homer, according to the Homer Police Department's report. The case went unsolved for three years, until Lee John Henry, now 61, was arrested in 2016 and charged with first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter.
The trial in Kenai Superior Court has been delayed to sort out arguments around DNA analysis, witnesses and evidence. Two key witnesses, one for the prosecution and one for the defense, died before the case made it to trial, according to the Homer News, further delaying the proceedings.
According to the Homer Police, Lee John Henry is scheduled for a sentencing hearing June 28, 2023, and is currently incarcerated at the Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai.
