DA Warren Montgomery announced Friday that 25 YO Mark Spicer of Covington pled guilty to first-degree murder and other charges.
Following the entry of the guilty plea, victim impact statements were read and District Judge Ellen Creel sentenced Spicer to life in prison plus an additional 100 years to run consecutively, without the benefit of appeal, commutation, pardon or parole. In addition, Spicer signed a Contract for Life Imprisonment Agreement prohibiting him from seeking any future modifications of his guilty plea or sentence.
Mandeville Police Captain Vincent Liberto’s widow, Tracey, gave a victim impact statement, along with Captain Liberto’s sister, Camilla “Camey” Liberto Grau and good friend and neighbor, Dana Angelo Columbo.
The District Attorney’s Office had pursued the death penalty in this case but recently, at the behest of the victim’s family, began working on a possible plea agreement versus pursuit of the death penalty as Captain Liberto’s wife and other family members began to express their discontent with the lengthy and burdensome proceedings required in capital cases. They desired to have closure.
Following the court proceedings, a joint press conference was held by the Liberto family, the Mandeville Police and the District Attorney’s Office. Mrs. Liberto addressed the group gathered for the press conference and explained how the family came to the decision to accept the plea agreement.
On Friday September 20, 2019, Vincent “”Vinnie”” Liberto, Jr, was killed in the Line of Duty serving his community.
Captain Liberto was a highly decorated and widely respected law enforcement officer as well as a U.S. Marine Combat Veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm.
The City of Mandeville recently erected a permanent memorial to him, near the area of his death on North Causeway Blvd.
