WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - Emotions ran high in District Court this morning as two people entered guilty pleas in Baton Rouge in connection with the killing of a man who was later found dumped in Livingston Parish a year ago.

Jean Paul Creppel, 34, and Danielle Palermo, 26, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery charges in the death of Jonathan Ellis, who was found shot to death in August 2011 at a Livingston Parish car wash.

"He never did me any wrong," Creppel told the victim's family in court. "I have no excuse for what I did, I wasn't in my right mind."

Creppel, who authorities believe shot Ellis three times, was sentenced to 40 years without the benefit of parole. Palermo received just five years in return for cooperating with authorities against Creppel.

"Pretty relieved, I feel like justice has been served for my son," Carl Ellis, the victim's father, said.

Investigators said they believe Ellis and Palermo rode together to a car wash on North Sherwood in Baton Rouge, where Creppel was waiting in a pickup. Once there, they said Creppel shot Ellis and put him in the trunk of his own car, then drove it to Livingston Parish and left it there.

"Without their mercy, this is a life imprisonment case," District Attorney Hillar Moore said. "It's a tough decision for them to make, I would have made a different decision and sought life. I think we could have proven that easily, but they showed mercy this defendant didn't show."

The victim's family agreed to the plea deal, according to prosecutors.

They will serve their time at a State Correctional Facility.