April 25, 2001
(LAS VEGAS) – A teenager who shot his father has been allowed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in a deal that might allow him to be free by the time he is 20.
Conan Pope, 16, argued that he shot Frank Pope, 62, to protect himself and his sister from abuse. His lawyers also wanted to present evidence that Frank Pope was convicted of killing a daughter in 1962.
Under the plea agreement, Conan will receive a four- to 20-year sentence and could be released in less than four years with good behavior. Prosecutors also agreed that he could serve his sentence in a special program for young offenders.
Prosecutors conceded that Frank Pope was a violent man. But Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell said that Conan Pope deserved some punishment for the shooting because he was not in immediate danger at the time.