A Baton Rouge man with multiple felony convictions will return to prison after admitting in court that he beat a man to death with a tree branch four years ago.
Antonio Jerome Palmer was set to be tried for second-degree murder and armed robbery this week in the May 2021 killing of 42-year-old Keldric Lewis. But he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter Monday inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse.
District Judge Carson Marcantel sentenced Palmer to 35 years in prison, according to 19th JDC court records. State prosecutors dismissed the armed robbery charge in exchange for Palmer’s guilty plea, records show…