Event Brief
UPDATED Oct 29, 2026 at 12:20 PM ET
Oct 26, 2026 at 6:20 PM ET
Tampa murder defendant offers plea for cheesesteak
By The BriefBrief
Robert Kessler, 74, offered to plead guilty in exchange for a Philly cheesesteak, fries and a 20-ounce Pepsi during jury selection in Hillsborough County on Oct. 26. He is representing himself and faces first-degree murder and abuse-of-a-dead-body charges in the 2021 killing of houseguest Stephanie Crone-Overholt.
WHO: Robert Kessler, 74, and Hillsborough Circuit Judge Nick Nazaretian
WHAT: Kessler offered to plead guilty in exchange for a cheesesteak meal during jury selection.
WHEN: Oct 26, 2026
WHERE: Hillsborough County
WHY: The offer came during a discussion of Kessler's trial options; Judge Nick Nazaretian had noted Kessler could enter an open plea for life in prison.
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