Local News Briefs

Economics student dies

Peter William Hufschmidt, an economics major, died Tuesday, Jan. 24. He was 22.

Hufschmidt enjoyed outdoor activities such as bicycling and camping. He attended Midlothian High School and was an alternate on the regional-winning VCU School of Business Fed Challenge Team. Memorial contributions may be made to the Richmond S.P.C.A.

Man admits to killing wife

A man pleaded guilty to murdering Iris Anderson, the 37-year-old woman found dead near the dumpster south of the T. Edward Temple Building in July.

Jamal Pleasants, 20, on Thursday pleaded guilty to choking and repeatedly beating his wife in the head July 16 after he learned she had cheated on him with an HIV-positive man, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Pleasants admitted to the murder after a DNA match linked him to the crime scene, and was sentenced to 50 years, with 20 suspended, for first-degree murder.

In his statement, Pleasants told Richmond City Police he choked Anderson out of rage after he learned of her infidelity. He then beat her in the head with a brick he found nearby.

Anderson sustained more than 28 blunt-force injuries to her head, multiple skull fractures, and 19 blunt-force injuries to her arms and legs, an autopsy revealed.

Police are also looking into Pleasants’ role in the unrelated shooting death of 17-year-old Derron Leroy Wilson, who died in April at VCU Medical Center.

VCU Alert reports recent robberies

Paul W. Timmreck, senior vice president for finance and administration, posted an alert Friday on the school Web site detailing three recent armed robberies and one attempted armed robbery of students on or near the Monroe Park Campus.

One robbery occurred on campus near Ackell Residence Center, while the other two happened off-campus in the 1100 block of West Grace Street and in the 100 block of West Franklin Street, according to the alert. No specific dates were given for the robberies, except that they occurred in the past five weeks.

It is unclear whether the robberies are connected to the four felony arrests and seven misdemeanor arrests made by University Police during winter break after they interviewed 26 “suspicious persons.” They also confiscated two handguns and recovered stolen property.