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An accused Florida murderer offered to confess — in exchange for a Philly cheesesteak with all the fixings.
Robert Kessler, 74, was representing himself in court Monday for the 2021 murder of Stephanie Crone-Overholt, 47, whose chopped-up remains were found around Kessler’s home, where she’d been staying after meeting him at a McDonald’s.
During the hearing, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Nick Nazaretian addressed the possibility of a plea, telling Kessler that it would allow him to accept “life in prison and be done with it.”
“I’ll do that for a Philly cheesesteak,” Kessler replied after a pause, Court TV video show. “And an order of fries and a Pepsi,” he added.
When the shocked-looking judge asked him to confirm, Kessler adjusted his order.
“A Philly cheesesteak with onions on it and mayonnaise and fries and 20 oz. of peppers,” he said, saying that the meal deal would save taxpayers’ money by avoiding a full trial.
Still, enticing or not, the judge said it was beyond his powers.
“I can’t obviously give food to people to enter a plea,” Nazaretian said. “That would be wrong in a thousand ways. I can guarantee you can have lunch today, but I can’t guarantee what it would be.”
Kessler later said the deal was off.
“[I] don’t want to open plea,” he said. “Just pick the jury. I want this cheese sandwich. If I get the sandwich then I could go for it, but I’m not going to get it.”
Crone-Overholt had been staying with Kessler after meeting at a McDonald’s, he previously told investigators, claiming he didn’t know where she had gone after.
Two fishermen found one of Crone-Overholt’s legs in McKay Bay in Tampa in November 2021, before more body parts were recovered in the following days, WFLA reported.
Kessler’s 8-year-old daughter told investigators that she had seen them arguing and that Crone-Overholt asked her dad for $200 to leave.
Police later searched Kessler’s car, finding blood on the hood, on the driver’s side floorboard and in the trunk. They also discovered more blood in Kessler’s minivan.
They also found blood on a mattress and kitchen cabinet in Kessler’s home that matched Crone-Overholts’ DNA.
At least three witnesses also claim they saw a man matching Kessler’s description throwing trash bags into the bay around the time she disappeared.
Kessler is facing charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.