OPINION

Suspect in murder of Florida girl Somer Thompson may avoid trial with plea deal, sources say

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

The suspect in the murder of 7-year-old Florida girl Somer Thompson may avoid a trial by pleading guilty to all charges when he appears in court Friday, according to sources.

Somer was abducted on Oct. 19, 2009, as she was walking home from school in Orange Park, a suburb of Jacksonville, Fla. Authorities said she was later murdered and that her body was dumped in a Georgia landfill.

Her accused killer, Jarred Harrell, is thought to have struck a plea deal with prosecutors, which would potentially give him life in prison rather than the death penalty, sources close to the case told WTEV-TV.