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Defendant pleads guilty to manslaughter in carjacking

A plan to steal a car from Philadelphia last year ended in South Jersey with the killing of Lyudmila Burshteyn, who was pistol-whipped, blindfolded, and shot after being terrorized for five hours.

A plan to steal a car from Philadelphia last year ended in South Jersey with the killing of Lyudmila Burshteyn, who was pistol-whipped, blindfolded, and shot after being terrorized for five hours.

Kareem Harrison, who was 17 at the time and living with his cousin in Philadelphia, pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated manslaughter in the case. Harrison said he was among a group of young men who kidnapped Burshteyn, a 57-year-old Russian immigrant living in Northeast Philadelphia.

"We're extremely happy that these savages were captured and taken out of society," said the victim's son, Ruslan Burshteyn, who sat with his sister, Marina, in the Burlington County courtroom during Monday's hearing.

Marcus White, 19, Lenroy Laurance, 27, and Harrison's cousin Robby Willis, 27, remain in jail, charged with murder. First Assistant District Attorney Raymond Milavsky said the case against those three would be presented to a grand jury.

Harrison, facing a murder charge that carried a possible life sentence, waived indictment and entered into a plea agreement Monday.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the more serious charge if Harrison pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and a weapons violation. He faces a 30-year sentence and must serve more than 25 years, authorities said.

Harrison also must testify against his codefendants, if needed.

On Monday, Harrison stood next to his defense attorney, Kevin Walker, and said little in court. He showed no emotion as authorities detailed the five hours that unfolded before the victim was killed.

Walker said the four men decided to steal a car Sept. 2 and drive to North Jersey to retrieve guns hidden there the previous day. White remained home while the other three went out and spotted Burshteyn's 2009 Nissan Murano in the Frankford section of the Northeast.

Burshteyn, who assisted with home inspections for real estate sales, was between appointments when the men saw her in the car, authorities said.

Harrison, armed with a .22-caliber pistol, said he was a lookout. Laurance, armed with a .45-caliber, forced Burshteyn into the backseat while Willis, with a .38-caliber, jumped into the backseat.

Harrison later hopped into the front passenger seat, authorities said.

Initially, the men stole $30 and the victim's credit cards. They picked up White, who got in the front passenger seat, while Harrison moved to the back with his cousin and the victim.

Willis beat Burshteyn with his gun when she started screaming, Walker said. To keep her quiet, authorities said, the men wrapped clothing over her head and secured it with duct tape. They also forced her to the floor of the vehicle as they crossed into New Jersey, authorities said.

In New Jersey, the men stopped to buy marijuana that they smoked as they headed to North Jersey. When they got there, they could not find the guns they were looking for and returned to South Jersey.

During the five-hour ordeal, the men forced Burshteyn to withdraw money from automated teller machines, stealing about $1,000, authorities said.

When they realized she could withdraw no more, they decided she had to die, Walker said. That's when they drove her into a wooded area in Mansfield Township in rural Burlington County.

Laurance, with the victim still blindfolded, told Burshteyn she was home and then shot her in the head with the .22-caliber gun, Walker said. He used the smaller caliber because his gun would have been too loud when he fired the single shot, authorities said.

The men then went to a restaurant in Philadelphia, where they met several women. Two of the women, who have not been charged, drove to South Carolina with the men.

When authorities pulled the Murano over in South Carolina, they found guns concealed in potato chip bags and blood inside the vehicle.

Superior Court Judge Jeanne T. Covert set sentencing for December.