Natalee Holloway: A Case That Captivated The Nation

Mitchell Tries to Take a Plea Bargain

As soon as the court ruled Mitchell well enough to testify, plea negotiations began between the defense and the prosecution. Mitchell was willing to plead guilty to both kidnapping and burglary under the condition that he would get only a 10-15 years sentence and Smart didn’t have to testify. This would mean the sexual assault charges would be dropped, which the prosecution refused.

By October 2004, an agreement had still not been reached. The defense appealed yet again, asking Smart’s camp to rethink what they were offering Mitchell. Again, the appeal was rejected.