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Roswell man pleads no contest in murder

Updated: Wednesday, 18 Nov 2009, 1:04 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 18 Nov 2009, 1:04 PM MST

    A Roswell man has pleaded no contest to six felony charges, including second-degree murder, in the slaying and dismemberment of a Roswell woman.

    Allen Dale Bruce, 44, entered the plea Monday in the death of Leatha Ann Tidwell, whose body parts were discovered last spring under a camper shell covering the bed of her pickup truck. The truck had been towed to a Clovis impound yard.

    Bruce faces up to 25½ years in prison. Sentencing hasn't been scheduled.

    The victim's parents, Nadine and Bob Walker, say they're not happy with Bruce's sentence and want him to be in prison for the rest of his life.

    Prosecutors say Bruce hit Tidwell over the head with an ax, then chopped her body into pieces. He was stopped for speeding while driving Tidwell's vehicle in Farwell, Texas.

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    Information from: Roswell Daily Record

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