The Norwich Bulletin is reporting that a 37-year-old-man from the nearby town of Groton, Conn., has pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter in connection with the 2009 death of Verona native Michael Halpert. Eduardo Rosario accepted a plea deal that could put him in prison for up to 14 years.
Halpert died when Rosario assaulted him outside a bar in Preston, Conn., after Halpert, who was in the U.S. Navy, came to the aid of a fellow shipmate. The Sons of Verona Memorial Foundation was created to honor Halpert, and another Verona High School graduate, Christopher Blum, who also died young. The foundation has already given two $5,000 scholarships to VHS seniors. 
