Autreyu Massaline rejected a plea agreement Thursday that would have capped his prison sentence at 18 years, clearing the way for an Oct. 23 retrial in the fatal stabbing of Edward Warren, according to The Ithaca Voice.
The proposed agreement called for Massaline to plead guilty to first-degree manslaughter and receive 12 to 18 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Massaline will instead face another trial on a second-degree murder charge, with prosecutors seeking 25 years to life if he is convicted.
His first trial ended in May when jurors could not reach a verdict on the murder charge, though they acquitted him of evidence tampering.
Massaline’s attorneys have argued he acted in self-defense during the July 24, 2025, confrontation, while prosecutors contend Warren’s killing was intentional.
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