BATTLE CREEK (WKZO) — A man charged with being an accessory after the fact in a horrifying murder in Battle Creek has cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time.
He will not contest the accessory charge. In exchange 27-year-old Dustin Hartman has agreed to testify against others who may have been involved.
Shawn Pike has already been tried and convicted for stabbing gas station clerk Nicole Gates to death during an armed robbery last July. He stabbed her 87-times until his knife broke, later bragging to friends that he wanted to make sure the mother of three was dead.
He was given life without parole.
Hartman allegedly helped Pike get rid of his blood soaked clothing and separate himself from the victim’s car, without notifying police.
Another acquaintance of Pike did call Police after hearing what he had done. At that point, they were not even aware that a murder had occurred. It led to the discovery of the body and Pike’s arrest.
