GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A man accused of killing his girlfriend in Gaston County pleaded guilty in the case Monday morning.
[RELATED: Cherryville man accused of shooting, killing girlfriend will stand trial]
The prosecutor had begun calling the last few witnesses against Jeffrey Eaker, when Eaker stopped the trial to enter a guilty plea.
Eaker was on trial for the 2016 murder of Lacy West.
He is accused of putting the gun to her head and pulling the trigger with his children in the same room.
Testimony from Eaker's 6-year-old daughter led to his decision to plead guilty.
She was in the room during the fatal shooting and she testified against her father last week.
After her testimony, Eaker made two calls from jail to family members who were also supposed to testify in the trial.
The recorded calls were played in court while the jury was not present, but jurors may have had a chance to hear them later.
Eaker told his stepfather he didn't agree with his daughter's account but made an admission following that.
"She pretty much told the truth," Eaker said.
Eaker said things looked bleak.
"I can look at the jury's face right now and tell they already want to give me life right now," Eaker said.
"It's not looking good."
Eaker's attorney said after the calls were discovered, he talked about admitting to the murder.
“I'd like to apologize to Jordan West, the brother of Lacey West," Eaker said.
On Monday, Eaker stood up in court and apologized to West’s family.
The brother said Eaker should have made the admission from the beginning instead of halfway through his trial.
"And spared everybody the emotional pain and time," Jordan West said. "I had to listen to my dad cry night after night about this."
The judge told Eaker the confession didn’t absolve him of murder.
"At least in this case, you have been a man," the judge said.
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