Man gets 30 years for killing Fort Mill girlfriend

YORK, S.C. (AP) — A man will spend 30 years in prison after admitting he choked his girlfriend to death in her Fort Mill apartment.

The Herald of Rock Hill (http://bit.ly/yCpSNd ) reports that 32-year-old Jimmy Kendall pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced Monday.

Authorities say 54-year-old Linda Lee Hertzog was found dead in her apartment in January 2011 by police after concerned co-workers said she failed to show up to her job in Charlotte, N.C.

Prosecutors said Kendall choked Hertzog from behind after they argued and forged a $200 check from her account after her death.

Defense lawyer Phil Smith says Kendall’s memory of the day is hazy, but he understood he was responsible for the death.