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Man convicted of second-degree murder in fatal Iowa stabbing

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - A man has been convicted of one count of second-degree murder in connection to a fatal stabbing on the Meskwaki Settlement in central Iowa.

Officials say 21-year-old Jonathan Youngbear pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Cedar Rapids. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

In the plea deal, Youngbear says he stabbed his 17-year-old cousin Severn Jefferson. Jefferson died Feb. 24 in Youngbear's home, which is within the boundaries of the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama County.

According to a news release, Youngbear was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time he stabbed Jefferson.

Youngbear remains in U.S. Marshal custody pending sentencing.

The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa own the Meskwaki Settlement land.

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