A Millersville mother pleaded guilty Wednesday in the 2006 murder of her boyfriend who, prosecutors say, threatened to report her to police for stealing thousands of dollars from him.
Cynthia McKay, 52, entered an Alford plea before Anne Arundel Circuit Judge Pamela North to a charge of second-degree murder, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
McKay, who spoke softly and pushed her gray hair back with a pair of glasses, maintained her innocence by entering an Alford plea but conceded enough evidence existed to convict her.
Prosecutors said they had evidence linking McKay to the murder of Anthony Fertitta, 50, a UPS employee whose body was found burning on Old Mill Road about 3:05 a.m. Feb. 22, 2006, outside McKay?s townhouse community.
Fertitta had been stabbed twice and was dead before his body was wrapped in a bathmat and set ablaze with gasoline, prosecutors said.
DNA comfirmed Fertitta?s blood was soaked into the floor of McKay?s living room underneath a carpet cleaned with bleach, prosecutors said.
Surveillance tapes showed McKay purchasing gasoline at a Royal Farm store about 15 minutes before the burning body was found and bleach from Shopper?s Food Warehouse, prosecutors said.
More of Fertitta?s blood was found in his truck along with abloody knife matching the set from McKay?s kitchen, prosecutors said.
McKay?s cell phone was found in the truck?s cup holder and a trash bag containing Fertitta?s UPS jacket and wallet was found with a neighbor?s trash, prosecutors said.
But prosecutor Kathleen Rogers said the evidence was only circumstantial, prompting the plea deal.
“We believe we got a conviction for what we could prove beyond a reasonable doubt,” Rogers said.
Defense attorney Karl Gordon said he hopes the conviction will sway prosecutors not to go forward with the October trial of McKay’s son Matthew Haarhoff, 20, who is charged with first-degree murder for his alleged involvement.
McKay’s other son Christopher Haarhoff, 21, pleaded guilty in October to accessory after the fact for helping dispose of the body, according to court records.
Fertitta’s death prompted police to open an investigation into the death of McKay’s ex-husband Clarence Downs, who died in a 2002 Christmas Day fire that was ruled accidental.
McKay also pleaded guilt Wednesday to an unrelated felony theft scheme in which prosecutors say she stole more than $19,000 from her former Glen Burnie employer Cheryl’s Chalet.
McKay will be sentenced for both crimes July 16.
