Bel Air Teen Pleads Guilty in Murder of Blind Man

UPDATE (3:15 p.m.)—A Bel Air teen pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree murder in the 2011 stabbing death of .

, now 18, of the 200 block of Fairwood Road in Bel Air, pleaded guilty to a single count of first-degree murder in connection with the slaying, according to a release from the Harford County State's Attorney's Office. Graham was 17 at the time of the murder.

“It was just a guilty plea," said Monday, "He agreed to plead guilty if we withrdrew life without parole."

Cassilly said the state can still seek a sentence of life in prison, but the sentence would include the possibility for parole.

"[Life without parole] I think is a bit misleading since the governor isn’t paroling anybody, so what’s the point of holding out for life without parole," Cassilly said. "We thought it was a good plea, so that’s what we did."

Cassilly said the plea also means the victim's family won't have to go through the painful process of a trial.

stabbing that police characterized at the time as an attempted burglary gone wrong.

A witness told Patch that Graham stabbed Patrick Xavier Ward, 29, four times in the chest while they were inside Ward's apartment in the 900 block of Redfield Road in Bel Air.

Graham was arrested by police a few blocks away near his own home on Fairwood Road.

At Graham's initial bail hearing, Assistant State's Attorney H. Scott Lewis said Graham admitted to the crime just after police found bloody clothing and a knife outside his apartment.

Ward, who was legally blind, was described by family and friends as loving and accepting of those around him. Those close to him also said that although he was legally blind, that did not define him.

“Some of you shared your problems. Some of you shared your political differences. Some of you gave him hangovers. … But he enjoyed that, too,” said Kathleen Ward while .

At sentencing, Ward's family and friends are expected to make statements about how his murder has impacted their lives.

Graham's plea was taken before the Judge William Carr in . Lewis prosecuted the case and Samuel Delgado represented Graham.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and sentencing is currently scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. May 23.