Suspect Pleads Guilty To Killing Jordan's Dad // He'll Testify Against 2nd Defendant

After nearly two years of denying that he killed the father ofbasketball superstar Michael Jordan, a 19-year-old North Carolina manpleaded guilty Thursday and will testify against his allegedaccomplice.

Larry Martin Demery, of Lumberton, N.C., pleaded guilty tofirst-degree murder and 10 other charges in the death of JamesJordan, father of the Chicago Bulls forward. Demery also becomes akey witness in the case against Daniel Andre Green, 20, the manauthorities believe fired the .38-caliber weapon that killed theelder Jordan.

Green's trial date has not been scheduled.

Despite the agreement, Demery still faces a minimum of a lifesentence and remains eligible for the death penalty on the murdercharge. A North Carolina source close to the case said the agreementmay have spared Demery from an "almost certain" death penalty had hebeen convicted. But Demery's attorney, Hugh Rogers, had a differentopinion.

"Certainly he's been remorseful about his limited role in thisthing the entire time," Rogers said. "It was his decision."

Demery and Green were charged Aug. 15, 1993, with killing JamesJordan as he slept inside his car along a highway in Fayetteville,N.C. The two allegedly shot Jordan in late July, 1993, dumped hisbody into a murky South Carolina creek, and then drove around inJordan's car.

Demery had denied killing Jordan but admitted that he helpeddump the body into the creek.

"The only time I touched the man was when we were throwing himover the bridge," Demery told a North Carolina newspaper in 1993. ".. . With this James Jordan incident, I feel like I've been set upfor some reason. . . . I'm not saying I'm a perfect angel. I'm justnot capable of murdering somebody."

But former Robeson County Sheriff Hubert Stone said Demery'splea proves that the multi-agency task force that investigated themurder had a clean case.

"This (plea) doesn't surprise me," said Stone, who retired assheriff shortly after Demery and Green were charged. "We had a goodcase."

Chicago attorney Anita Rivkin-Carothers, who often speaks withGreen and is close to the case, said Green "may have anticipated"Demery's plea.

"He tells me he feels more confident," Rivkin-Carothers said."If Demery's credibility is what they have to rely on, (Green) feelsthere's enough to impeach his (Demery's) credibility."

But in a telephone interview with a Durham, N.C., TV stationafter Thursday's hearing, Demery hinted that he felt betrayed.

"He told me not to tell the police anything and I didn't tellpolice anything to incriminate him," Green said. "I feel stupid ashell, to be honest with you."

Demery's plea included three counts each of larceny, robberywith a dangerous weapon and felony breaking and entering. He alsopleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and onecount of conspiracy to commit robbery. The charges also include two unspecified robberies that were committed before the murder.

The plea was the latest in a case riddled with oddities from thestart. A South Carolina coroner cremated Jordan's body before itcould be identified because his office had no refrigerationfacilities.

Witnesses came forward claiming they saw Jordan alive after theday police believe he was killed. Green's defense attorneys alsoalleged that Jordan faked his death to avoid financial troubles andan alleged paternity suit. And court proceedings moved at a glacialpace, with the accused men waiting more than a year before beingarraigned.

"It's just so slow," Green told the Chicago Sun-Times on Mondayduring a telephone interview from the Robeson County Jail.

Contributing: Lynn Sweet and Associated Press