Family of murdered O'Reilly's manager accept plea by killers in case

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It has been more than six months since an auto parts store manager was murdered in Detroit.
    
On Friday his killers pleaded guilty. The victim's son told FOX 2 the outcome is not exactly what the family hoped for, but they agreed to a plea deal knowing that the women who killed James Haller would definitely pay for their crimes.

"In certain situations you take what you can get," said Christopher Pasha. 

Pasha says he and his family are finally getting closure. Last fall their father 69-year-old James Haller was shot to death while working at a Detroit O'Reilly Auto Parts store.

On Friday the two women responsible - Shanta Anderson and Eboni McEwen-Ross pled guilty to second degree murder.

"Since the whole incident, the moment they were caught, was a healing process," Pasha said. "It takes time. It is nothing that heals overnight. We all handle it in different ways and we are moving forward."

Pasha says it hasn't been easy. His father, a former Marine, GM worker and Detroit police reservist, didn't deserve to die.

Throughout the court process - the family forced to watch surveillance video that showed the two women robbing the store on Schaefer. And as they were clearing out the register, Haller went to help his fellow employee and that's when Anderson pulled the trigger, killing their beloved father.

"At this point we want to hurry up and get it over with," Pasha said. "So that we don't have to stop our lives to come to court, continue to look at their faces."

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Leviticus Butler was the first to plead guilty for hiding out his two girlfriends who he testified were likely trying to rob the store to buy him a birthday present.

Anderson and McEwen-Ross also reached a plea agreement. Pasha says he wished for life without parole but his family is pleased the women will pay for their crime and will hopefully realize one day what they stole from Haller's family.

"Words don't exist to explain that it's like having a part of you missing," he said. "Those feelings are going to be there for a while. No matter how much you accept it, your heart doesn't accept it. 

"It is almost like a conflict of interest between your brain and your heart."

The two women are expected to be back in court to be sentenced June 1.