A transient who had been charged with second-degree murder is now a free man after prosecutors lowered the charge against him.

According to prosecutors, Randy Nevsimal, Maybelle Collins, and David Saxton were involved in the beating death of another transient, Lonnie Sanchez.  His body was found near the South Platte River in North Platte, in an area frequented by transients, last September.

An investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office led to the arrest of the trio a short time later.

In April, Collins made a plea deal with prosecutors, and the charge against her was reduced to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting.  She was sentenced to 364 days in jail and given credit for time served.

Then, in July, Saxton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

On Monday, Nevsimal was scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing, when prosecutors told the court they had an amended charge to file against him.

According to Lincoln County Attorney Rebecca Harling, her office was contacted by Saxton, who is in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Corrections.  Harling said Saxton stated that he was the only one that had participated in the actual beating of Sanchez.  He claimed that Nevsimal helped him find a tarp and conceal the body, but didn’t participate in the fatal beating.

As a result, prosecutors lowered the charge to being an accessory to a felony by concealing, a Class IV felony punishable by up to five years in prison and offered Nevsimal a deal.  He pleaded no contest.

When asked by District Court Judge Richard Birch if she had a sentencing recommendation, Harling stated that the State did not have problem with sentencing Nevsimal to time served.

Judge Birch then sentenced Nevsimal to 364 days in jail and gave him credit for 327 days already served.  With good time credit, Nevsimal was released from the Lincoln County Detention Center.