OXFORD, Miss. — Brandon Theesfeld, the man accused of killing University of Mississippi student Ally Kostial in 2019, pleaded guilty to first degree murder on Friday.
Theesfeld was led into court Friday handcuffed in a bright orange jumpsuit and escorted by four officers.
“Sorry for the pain I caused you. I wish I could take it back if I can. I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me,” Theesfeld told the judge, in response to Kostial’s family.
Kostial, 21, was found dead near Sardis Lake in Mississippi in July 2019. Authorities say she died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The murder case captivated people from St. Louis, where Kostial from, to Lafayette County, Mississippi, where she studied business. After seemingly no movement in court because of COVID, now there’s a guilty plea Friday, from her former classmate Theesfeld.
After the judge ruled that he was competent to stand trial, the prosecution gave its account of events. The judge said that there was “sufficient factual basis” for this case.
As a result, Theesfeld will be sentenced to life in prison. He had previously pleaded not guilty to capital murder.
Kostial graduated from Lindbergh High School in St. Louis in 2016. She was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at the University of Mississippi.
Theesfeld, originally from the Dallas area, was studying business at the University of Mississippi. He was captured a few days after the killing at a gas station in Memphis.