Northern Indiana man, 21, pleads guilty to murder of teen

PLYMOUTH, Ind. (AP) – A 21-year-old northern Indiana man has pleaded guilty to murder in the slaying of a 15-year-old girl whose corpse was burned.

Marshall County prosecutors say Fabian Rubio of Bremen faces 45 to 65 years in prison when he is sentenced July 14.

Rubio was a neighbor of Desi Jones. Her body was discovered Dec. 19, 2014, near a wooded area a few miles from her home by a man walking his dog. A coroner ruled that her death was caused by blunt force trauma, but a probable cause affidavit also revealed her upper body was charred by fire.

Under a plea agreement with Rubio, prosecutors dropped charges of sexual misconduct with a minor and abuse of a corpse.

Prosecutors say blood stains linked Rubio to the slaying.