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4th Person Pleads Guilty In New Jersey Torture Slaying

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) -- A fourth person has pleaded guilty in the torture killings of a Burlington County couple in Camden.

Nineteen-year-old David Hardwick of Pennsauken entered his plea Thursday to two counts of aggravated manslaughter. He faces a 30-year prison term.

He was one of 10 people charged in the deaths of 18-year-old Muriah Huff of Cinnaminson and 23-year-old Michael Hawkins of Mount Holly.

Prosecutors say the couple were killed in February 2010 in a Camden rowhouse then buried in a shallow grave in the backyard.

Hardwick said he supplied a .22-caliber revolver to Kuasheim Powell of Camden, who used it to shoot Hawkins. Huff was beaten, choked and stabbed. Powell has pleaded guilty to murder.

Prosecutors say Hawkins was targeted in a gang-related dispute and Huff was killed to prevent her from identifying his attackers.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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