CONFESSION

Man Pleads Guilty to 1978 Killing

Of five boys in Newark.

A 54-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to the killing of five boys in Newark, in a case that rocked the city in 1978. Five boys were allegedly lured into an abandoned house, which was set on fire. Philander Hampton confessed to five counts of felony murder at the Essex Country Courthouse in exchange for a plea agreement, which means he will testify at the trial of his cousin, Lee Evans, 58. Hampton confessed to police in November 2008, saying Evans orchestrated the killings, and the two were arrested in March 2010. Hampton is expected to receive a 10-year jail sentence, which means he'd be eligible for parole after two years—or rather, since he's been in jail since his arrest, he'd be eligible in a few months.