Florida murder defendant offers to plead guilty in exchange for a Philly cheesesteak
Robert Kessler, 74, representing himself in Hillsborough County, Florida, told a judge he would plead guilty to the 2021 murder of Stephanie Crone-Overholt for a cheesesteak, fries and a Pepsi. The judge said he could not trade food for a plea, and Kessler withdrew the offer.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Robert Kessler, 74, who is representing himself at his murder trial in Hillsborough County, Florida, offered in court on Monday, October 26, to plead guilty in exchange for a Philly cheesesteak, fries and a Pepsi. New York PostR “Robert Kessler, 74, was representing himself in court Monday for the 2021 murder of Stephanie Crone-Overholt, 47” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN “Kessler has chosen to represent himself in the trial, according to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Mixed · 2Hillsborough Circuit Judge Nick Nazaretian had raised the possibility of an open plea, telling Kessler he could get "life in prison and be done with it"; Hindustan Times says the hearing was for jury selection. Hindustan TimesN “Nazaretian told Kessler he could enter an open plea and get “life in prison and be done with it.”” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ New York PostR “it would allow him to accept “life in prison and be done with it.”” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2After a pause, Kessler replied, "I’ll do that for a Philly cheesesteak" and "an order of fries and a Pepsi." Asked by the judge to confirm, he amended the order to a cheesesteak with onions and mayonnaise, fries and 20 oz. of peppers, saying the deal would save taxpayers money. Hindustan TimesN “Kessler said he was open to the trade “to save the taxpayers.”” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ New York PostR ““A Philly cheesesteak with onions on it and mayonnaise and fries and 20 oz. of peppers,” he said” Read at New York Post ↗
Mixed · 2The judge said he could not do it: "I can’t obviously give food to people to enter a plea. 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." New York PostR ““I can’t obviously give food to people to enter a plea,” Nazaretian said.” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN ““I can guarantee you can have lunch today, but I can’t guarantee what it would be.”” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Mixed · 2Kessler then said he did not want an open plea and asked to proceed with jury selection, adding that he would go for the plea if he got the sandwich but did not expect to. New York PostR “If I get the sandwich then I could go for it, but I’m not going to get it.”” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN ““Just pick the jury. I want this cheese sandwich.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Mixed · 2Kessler faces charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a dead body over the death of Stephanie Crone-Overholt, 47, in 2021. Hindustan TimesN “He is facing charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a dead body” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ New York PostR “Kessler is facing charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.” Read at New York Post ↗
Mixed · 2Fishermen found remains in McKay Bay, Tampa, in November 2021; an affidavit cited by Hindustan Times says at least three witnesses saw a man matching Kessler's description throwing trash bags into the bay. Hindustan TimesN “It alleged that at least three witnesses saw a man matching Kessler’s description tossing trash bags into the bay.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ New York PostR “Two fishermen found one of Crone-Overholt’s legs in McKay Bay in Tampa in November 2021” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2Crone-Overholt had been staying with Kessler, and his daughter told authorities she saw the two arguing and that Crone-Overholt asked him for $200 to leave. New York PostR “Crone-Overholt asked her dad for $200 to leave.” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN “She also said that Crone-Overholt had asked him for $200 for her to leave, according to the affidavit.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Right · 1The New York Post adds that Kessler told investigators he did not know where she went, and that police found blood in his car, minivan and home matching her DNA. New York PostR “They also found blood on a mattress and kitchen cabinet in Kessler’s home that matched Crone-Overholts’ DNA.”“claiming he didn’t know where she had gone after.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Reports the offer as a news item from a US court video, with the defendant's name and age in the headline.
- Emphasis
- Court setting (jury selection, self-representation) and affidavit details, sourced to People and the state attorney's office.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the blood and DNA evidence reported by the Post.
- Charged language
- “doubled down”
- For example
-
“he then doubled down by saying, “a Philly cheesesteak with onions on it and mayonnaise and fries and 20 oz. of peppers.”” — Hindustan Times
“according to online records reviewed by People” — Hindustan Times
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Treats the exchange as a quirky court-room oddity, with a punning headline, then lays out the evidence against Kessler.
- Emphasis
- Kessler's quotes and the forensic evidence (blood in car, minivan, home matching DNA).
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention that the hearing was for jury selection.
- Charged language
- “truly cheesy deal”
- For example
-
“Accused murderer offers judge truly cheesy deal for his confession” — New York Post
“Police later searched Kessler’s car, finding blood on the hood” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Kessler, 74, is representing himself in his Hillsborough County murder trial.
- He offered to plead guilty for a Philly cheesesteak, fries and a Pepsi.
- Judge Nick Nazaretian said he could not give food in exchange for a plea.
- Kessler then withdrew the offer and asked to proceed with jury selection.
- He faces first-degree murder and abuse of a dead body charges over Stephanie Crone-Overholt's 2021 death.
Robert Kessler person
Kessler, acting as his own lawyer, said the trade would save taxpayers money, then said he did not want an open plea and wanted jury selection to proceed.
“saying that the meal deal would save taxpayers’ money by avoiding a full trial.” — New York Post
““Don’t want to open plea,” he said.” — Hindustan Times
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
-
Neutral Straightforward relay of the court video and affidavit, with unrelated Kohberger links inserted.
Right1 article
-
Accused murderer offers judge truly cheesy deal for his confession
Mixed Light, punning tone on the offer, followed by a grim recital of evidence.
- 27 Oct 14:03 First New York PostR Accused murderer offers judge truly cheesy deal for his confession
- 28 Oct 05:18 +15h 15m Hindustan TimesN Robert Kessler: Florida man, 74, tells judge he will plead guilty to woman's murder in exchange for ‘cheesesteak, fries and Pepsi’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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