LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) — A man charged with murder in south-central Nebraska’s Dawson County has taken a plea deal.

Station KRVN reports that 42-year-old Jose Regalado-Mendez pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter and use of a weapon to commit a felony. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the October 2016 slaying of 37-year-old Jose Hernandez. Prosecutors lowered the charge in exchange for Regalado-Mendez’s plea. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7.

Prosecutors say Regalado-Mendez shot Hernandez and hid the body near a farmhouse north of Lexington. The remains were found Dec. 12, 2016.