A Bedford County capital murder case set to go to trial later this week has come to a quick end.
 
John Gerholt on Tuesday plead no contest to first-degree murder in connection with the November 2008 shooting death of his estranged wife Karen outside of a McDonald’s in Everett. Prosecutors and defense attorneys were unable to seat any jurors on Monday. Gerholt had claimed the shooting was an accident.
 
But District Attorney Bill Higgins says Gerholt made the right choice.
 

 
The 40-year-old Gerholt was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The trial had been delayed several times over the years because of ongoing mental tests and evaluations.