An Arlington man pleaded guilty to third-degree murder today in the shooting death last October of a Brentwood man at an Allentown bar.

Adriel Montez Russell, 25, also pleaded to aggravated assault of a 29-year-old man who survived a gunshot to the chest, reckless endangerment, criminal conspiracy and a firearms violation.

Upon agreement between the parties, Allegheny County Judge Donald E. Machen proceeded to immediately sentence Mr. Russell, 25, to 20 to 40 years in prison.

Mr. Russell was charged with killing Clayton Thompson, 31, at Longo's Bank Cafe on Warrington Avenue in Allentown on Oct. 19, 2008.

A witness, who was in protective custody, testified at a preliminary hearing that he saw Mr. Russell enter the bar and glare at Eric Wormsley, 29, of Beltzhoover. The witness, who was seated nearby at the bar, said Mr. Russell fired at Mr. Wormsley.

Police and prosecutors said that the defendant had a co-conspirator in the shootings who has yet to be identified by the authorities.

Many of Mr. Thompson's family members assembled in court today to hear the plea deal and see the defendant's sentencing.

Afterward, his mother, Maria Griffy, 53, of Beltzhoover, said, "I feel confident that the young man is feeling remorseful, but there's still another person that's at large and he still needs to be brought to justice."

The victim's father, Clayton Thompson Sr., who is a preacher at Union AME Church in Charleston, S.C., took a step back to look at the big picture. "It's time for us to come together as a community and make a gallant effort to wipe out all of [the homicides] in our communities. It destroys the family fabric. When we have individuals in the community that know who the killer is and won't come forward it devalues us, our families and our communities.

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