Kalamazoo Neighbor Murderer Sentenced To At Least 15 Years In Prison

A Kalamazoo man has now been sentenced to prison for killing his neighbor over 4 years ago.

WWMT reports that 44-year-old Todd Maneke appeared in Kalamazoo County Court on Monday, January 30, where a judge ordered him to serve between 15 and 20 years in prison; he pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the death of 88-year-old Alfred Minka last month.

Minka had been beaten to death in his home in 2013, and prosecutors say that Maneke had been trying to get money for drugs and a car for transport when he went to his neighbor’s house; he then hit Minka with a hammer repeatedly, before taking his car to buy drugs.

Maneke was arrested in August of 2016 for murder. Maneke had been on trial last fall, but a judge declared a mistrial because jurors did outside research.

Instead of going to trial again, Maneke decided to make the plea.