One of the suspects in the 2006 fatal shooting of a community college student who died on the steps of a sorority house plead guilty in court to manslaughter charges last week.

Brandon Crowder entered his plea June 15 in Alameda County Superior Court for his involvement in the September 2006 shooting of Wayne Drummond Jr.

Crowder and Drummond-who were friends-had an altercation Sept. 4 that resulted in Drummond being fatally shot outside Blakes on Telegraph, according to police reports.

After the shooting, Drummond walked to the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority house at 2311 Prospect Street before he died on the house's front steps.

Crowder identified 23-year-old janitor Nicholas Beaudreaux as the man who allegedly shot Drummond.

Crowder allegedly told Beaudreaux to shoot Drummond, according to police reports.

Crowder identified Beaudreaux as the gunman after being arrested for allegedly making threats to a basketball player at UC Berkeley's Recreational Sports Facility in February 2008.

Beaudreaux is currently in his preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to try him on murder charges.

Crowder's attorney Darryl Stallworth said that he and his client had been considering a plea bargain for a year.

"With plea bargains you try and get the best possible," he said in a interview.

Stallworth said no date has been set for Crowder's sentencing.

"(Crowder) is a good kid from a good family who found himself mixed up with a number of people who had very little clue what they were capable of doing," he said.

James Giller, Beaudreaux's former attorney, said he thinks it is possible that Crowder's plea bargain might factor into the prosecution's strategy against Beaudreaux.

"(Crowder) ended up pleading manslaughter," Giller said. "They must have made some kind of arrangement."

Beaudreaux is now represented by attorney David Kelvin.

Giller said that it is possible Crowder may also be asked to testify against

Beaudreaux.

Deputy District Attorney Tim Wellman, who is the prosecutor in the case, said Beaudreaux's hearing started June 17.

Wellman said that he plans to present seven witnesses during the hearing.

"We have the doctor who performed the autopsy, police witnesses, the victim's mother, and two (other) witnesses," he said.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay is presiding over the hearing, which is slated to continue June 29."

Tags: WAYNE DRUMMOND JR.