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Gregory Brent Dennis, who was charged with his wife's murder in 2015, entered the Alford Plea earlier this year in January 2022 after incriminating evidence suggested that he murdered the mother-of-two for financial gains. A person who enters an Alford plea affirms their innocence in relation to the same allegations while formally admitting guilt in criminal court.
Dennis' wife, Susan Winters, was found unresponsive in the couple's Henderson, Nevada, home sometime before 7 am on January 3, 2015. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where they pronounced her dead. At the time, the husband informed authorities that the victim may have consumed prescribed pills along with antifreeze. But as the case progressed, he soon became the prime suspect.
This article will discuss more on the Alford Plea, especially in connection to Susan Winters' murder case and Brent Dennis' attempt to avoid a trial ahead of Dateline's upcoming episode on Friday.
What is the Alford Plea?
The Alford Plea, commonly referred to as a "best-interests plea," formally admits guilt to charges in a criminal court while also expressing the defendant's innocence over those same allegations. This is done to avoid the entirety of a criminal trial since the defendant consents to accept all of the consequences of a guilty finding.
In the case of the Alford Plea, a formal guilty plea is entered by the defendant, and a formal acknowledgment of guilt under an Alford Plea might be used against the defendant in subsequent lawsuits. An Alford Plea is not a right, as is the case with all plea deals. The decision to give one rests with the judge and prosecution. Some states specifically prohibit Alfred Pleas.
It is a person's admission of guilt to a crime while maintaining their innocence. In terms of admitting guilt, it is comparable to the no-contest plea, but the latter is for someone who will face penalties even if they deny guilt. Both are necessary to bring the case to a conviction.
Gregory Brent Dennis entered the Alford Plea in wife Susan Winters' murder case
In January 2022, Gregory Brent Dennis, 59, entered the Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter, seven years after Susan Winters was discovered unconscious at the couple's home. The plea deal only acknowledged that the prosecution had sufficient evidence to establish his guilt. He was given a maximum term of 10 years in jail a few months later in May.
Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo reportedly noted:
"While the defendant did not make a verbal admission of guilt, he agreed to receive a 10-year prison sentence for killing his wife. A sentence of that type for a 60-year-old man is clearly justice for Susan."
Susan Winters' mother, Avis, said:
"Losing my daughter has created a void in my heart that will never be filled. I miss her every single day."
Her aunt, Helen Biddy, further added:
"Nothing will erase the memory of what happened to Susan, but hopefully after today we can begin the healing process."
Dennis, on the other hand, made a statement in court, saying:
"This resolution provides closure, as one of my goals was to prevent my daughters from having to undergo the stresses of a trial. Although during the last several years I have been at odds with Susan's loved ones, I want to stress that I understand their sorrow."
Brent Dennis was detained in 2017. Although local law enforcement first determined that his wife's death was a suicide, her parents never accepted that their daughter committed suicide and fought for a thorough investigation.
It was alleged Dennis offered his wife a deadly concoction of oxycodone and antifreeze. After Winters' death, he received close to $2 million in life insurance benefits. It was also revealed that the victim confronted her husband about his drug problem and threatened to report him to the police and the state licensing board.
Learn more about Brent Dennis' role in wife's murder via antifreeze poisoning on NBC's Dateline this Friday, October 7, 2022, at 9 pm ET.
