Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that Conklin and co-defendant Charles Sanford robbed Mary Whitaker inside her Sherman, NY home on Aug. 20, 2014. The two men approached the victim’s home and Sanford rang the doorbell. Soon after Whitaker answered the door, Conklin shot and killed her. Conklin and Sanford then stole her vehicle and drove it to Erie, Pennsylvania where they were arrested on Aug. 22, 2014.
Charges are still pending against Charles Sanford. The fact Sanford has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Joseph A. Gerace, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney David W. Foley, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the City of Erie (Pennsylvania) Police Department, under the direction of Chief Randy M. Bowers.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 9, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
