MOUNT CLEMENS (AP) - A Detroit-area man pleaded guilty Monday to killing his wife and two children and admitted he is mentally ill, saying he's sad and sorry.
Timothy Fradeneck's guilty plea carries a life sentence and qualifies him for mental health care in prison.
His wife, Christie, and two children, ages 8 and 2, were found strangled with a USB cord last April at their Eastpointe home. Two psychologists said Fradeneck, 38, suffers from significant depression but wasn't insane.
"He knew the difference between right and wrong," psychologist Michael Abramsky testified.
Police visited Fradeneck's home last spring after getting a call from his wife's sister. Police said he opened the door, let them in and confessed to the killings.
"I'm very sad. I'm very sorry," Fradeneck told Macomb County Judge Diane Druzinski.
Defense attorney Steve Kaplan said Fradeneck decided to give up his right to a trial to spare family members.
"He cares about his family," Kaplan said.
Fradeneck told police that he tried to take his own life by ingesting pills and starting a fire but fell asleep before the fire.
He'll be sentenced on March 1.
Published: Wed, Jan 27, 2016
