Plea Means No Additional Prison Time For Former Dover Man

A plea agreement worked out with a former Dover area man has closed the books on a murder-conspiracy case that dates back to 2008. 42-year-old William Shorter was sentenced to 15-years in prison in 2009 after he was found guilty of plotting with his wife to murder his brother in order to collect on a $300,000 life insurance policy. Brenda Shorter was later convicted in the case and sentenced to 11-years in prison, but some of the testimony in her trial prompted the Minnesota Court of Appeals to order Olmsted County Judge Kevin Lund to take another look at her husband’s case. That eventually led to an order for a new trial, but Shorter today entered so-called Alford pleas to first-degree assault charges to resolve the case. The pleas mean he doesn’t admit guilt, but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him. Shorter was sentenced on Wednesday to over four-years in prison, but won’t have to serve any additional time because he was given credit for the time he has already spent behind bars.