VIRGINIA, Minn. — An Aurora man admitted Tuesday to gunning down his former girlfriend outside a bar last fall.

John Joseph Plevell, 52, pleaded guilty to a charge of intentional second-degree murder in the shooting death of 49-year-old Julie Ann Hildreth of Babbitt.

At a hearing in St. Louis County District Court in Virginia, Plevell admitted that he fired a single shot at Hildreth, who had an order for protection against him, outside the Aurora American Legion Club on Nov. 8, 2015.

Authorities said Plevell was a patron in the bar and left after seeing Hildreth with her new boyfriend at the establishment. He returned with a deer rifle and hid behind a shed and some brush, shooting her when she emerged from the bar, according to the charges.

Under a plea agreement with the St. Louis County attorney’s office, it is expected that Plevell will be sentenced to 35 years in prison — a longer-than-guideline term for the charge.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop a premeditated first-degree murder charge against Plevell, who would have faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted on that count.

District Judge Gary Pagliaccetti scheduled sentencing for Jan. 30. Related Articles Marchers shut down I-94 through St. Paul to protest Breonna Taylor decision

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Defense attorney Bruce Williams said his client gave a truthful account of the events in court Tuesday, admitting that he became jealous when he saw Hildreth with her boyfriend and laid in wait with the weapon for five to 10 minutes before she left the bar.

“Clearly, there are no winners here,” Williams said afterward. “I feel for the family of Julie Ann Hildreth, and I also feel for the family of John Plevell.”

Prosecutor Michelle Anderson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Plevell’s court appearance had been scheduled as a contested hearing to challenge the admissibility of evidence obtained from a search warrant at his residence. He waived that challenge, along with his right to assert an intoxication defense.

Plevell admitted that he shot Hildreth from a distance of approximately 50 to 60 feet, attorneys said.

A bullet struck Hildreth in the right forearm and entered her chest as she was leaving the American Legion, 117 Main St. N., around 9 p.m., according to court documents. She was transported to Essentia Health-Northern Pines hospital, where she died a short time later.

Hildreth’s boyfriend, Randy Mattson, told police he was outside the bar with Hildreth having a smoke. When they went to re-enter the building, he heard what sounded like a deer rifle shot and saw Hildreth drop to the ground, according to the complaint.

Several bar patrons reported to police that Plevell had been in the establishment a short time earlier. One patron reported that he was upset about Hildreth and Mattson’s relationship, and “suggested doing something to Hildreth and Mattson if he saw them that evening,” according to the charges.

Other Legion patrons reportedly told authorities that Plevell left immediately after the couple arrived.

Investigators said a Hornady .30-06 shell casing was found at the scene. A Remington Woodsmaster rifle and matching ammunition were later seized from Plevell’s home during the execution of a search warrant. Related Articles Marchers shut down I-94 through St. Paul to protest Breonna Taylor decision

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Plevell initially denied shooting Hildreth. He acknowledged to investigators that he had dated Hildreth for about a year and a half, with their relationship ending about three months before her death.

Plevell pleaded guilty a month earlier to a domestic violence incident. In that case, authorities said he struck Hildreth with a telephone and a full beer can. Hildreth told law enforcement at the time that she was afraid Plevell could kill her because his violence was increasing, according to the reports.

In March, Plevell attempted to plead guilty to second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, without the benefit of a plea agreement. But prosecutors filed a notice of intent to convene a grand jury to consider a first-degree charge, later securing an indictment for the stiffest count on the books.

Williams said Plevell faced a guideline sentence of approximately 30½ years for the second-degree conviction, but agreed to the 35-year term based on aggravating factors, including the public setting of the killing and the fact that he laid in wait.