The second person charged in the 2014 murder of Conestoga Valley elementary school teacher Nicole Mathewson pleaded guilty Monday.

Marcus Rutter, 17, admitted he broke into Mathewson's home Dec. 15, 2014, and robbed and killed her, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.

He pleaded guilty in Lancaster County Court to first-degree murder and related counts including burglary, robbery, receiving stolen property and access device fraud.

Lancaster County Judge David Ashworth will order Rutter's sentence on July 29. Because Rutter was 16 at the time of the killing, he will not face the death penalty under state law. He is being held at Lancaster County Prison.

Mathewson, 32, taught sixth grade at Brownstown Elementary.

Rutter and Thomas Moore, 26, were charged with sexually assaulting and beating Mathewson to death after breaking into her home on the 700 block of North Franklin Street during the night.

The two men did not know Mathewson prior to the crime, police said. They chose her home as a theft target at random.

Closure

“I think we're just glad that this isn't going to trial,” said Gerald Huesken, Conestoga Valley School District superintendent, Monday.

“Our folks went through a lot when this happened. There's still a lot of healing going on.”

Huesken said his staff and students have brought closure and honor to Mathewson’s memory.

Sign up for our newsletter Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

If the case had gone to trial, the incident would be replayed in the media and more details of the event would come out, he said.

“I don't think they need to go through that again,” Huesken said.

In February, Moore avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to first-degree murder and other charges. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years and is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill in Cumberland County.

Sexual assault charges as well as theft by unlawful taking charges for Moore and Rutter were dropped as part of "the process of getting the plea through," according to Brett Hambright, a spokesman for the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.

What happened

According to officials and court documents, Moore and Rutter entered the home, not knowing if anyone was inside. When they encountered Mathewson, they beat her.

Moore and Rutter also took her car keys, debit card and card PIN before fleeing in her car, according to affidavits. They later used the card to withdraw $500 from Mathewson’s bank account.

Conestoga Valley School District officials became concerned when Mathewson did not arrive for work.

A friend went to check on her and found her dead in her home just after 9 a.m.

Police arrested Rutter later that night after a citizen's tip through Lancaster City/County Crimestoppers. He was found walking in the 600 block of East Marion Street around 9:30 p.m. Police arrested Moore the next day in a home at Sterling Place.