Former Purdue University student Cody Mark Cousins faces 45 to 65 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Thursday to murder in the shooting death of fellow student Andrew F. Boldt in January on the campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, according to court documents.
Cousins' attorneys had said they were exploring a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Cousins can still argue that he was mentally ill to lighten his sentence at a hearing in September, but the guilty plea means he faces a minimum term of 45 years. A mental evaluation of Cousins conducted in July remains under seal in Tippecanoe County Superior Court 2.
Cousins surrendered outside the college's electrical engineering building within minutes after the Jan. 21 attack. No potential motive has emerged ever since. Campus Police Chief John Cox told NBC News in January that Cousins appeared to have singled out his victim, targeting no one else.
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