MARIETTA, Ga. -
A man convicted of a 2005 killing he claimed was self-defense could soon be released from a Georgia jail, ending ongoing legal battles and protests.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/XyBj9d) that John McNeil was expected to be freed from the Cobb County Jail Tuesday afternoon, almost seven years after authorities say he shot a contractor outside his suburban Atlanta home.
McNeil's wife and NAACP leaders in Georgia and North Carolina waged a public relations campaign for his freedom after a Baldwin County judge ruled he was entitled to a new trial.
On Tuesday, McNeil entered a guilty plea to a manslaughter charge to end an appeal pending before the Georgia Supreme Court. He was expected to be released from jail after getting credit for time already served.
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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press
