Ellicott City Teen Pleads Guilty in Murder of Father

The teen accused of conspiring to kill her father—commercial real estate agent and blogger Dennis Lane—admitted to her role in Howard County Circuit Court Tuesday morning.

Morgan Lane Arnold, 16, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, according to online court records.

Other charges against her—two counts of conspiracy and two counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder—were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

In May 2013, Arnold was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of solicitation for first-degree murder and two counts of conspiracy in the May 10, 2013, fatal stabbing.

Police said that Arnold planned with her boyfriend Jason Bulmer to kill Lane and Lane’s fiancee. Lane was stabbed to death in his bed, while his fiancee was not harmed, according to officials.

Bulmer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for committing the stabbing.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 28, and Arnold could face a life sentence, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Last fall, a judge ruled that Arnold could enter a plea of not criminally responsible in the murder.

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