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Former boxing champion James Butler, who fought as “The Harlem Hammer,” pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and arson Monday in the 2004 bludgeoning death of freelance sportswriter Sam Kellerman. Butler pleaded at the start of jury selection and will get 29 years. A murder charge was dropped. Here's how AP described the crime:
Kellerman’s body was found in his Hollywood apartment on Oct. 17, 2004, although authorities believe he had been killed five days earlier. He had been bludgeoned around the head about 30 times while sitting at his desktop computer, police said. A hammer was found near Kellerman’s body, his car was missing and his apartment was set on fire, police said.
The killing in October 2004 was a media sensation in New York City. Kellerman's brother Max hosted the "I, Max" show on Fox Sports Net and is now a sports talk host in New York.