Janitor rejects deal in NJ priest slaying

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – A janitor accused of killing a New Jersey priest has rejected a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 30 years.

Jose Feliciano could face life in prison if convicted of stabbing the Rev. Edward Hinds to death in the rectory of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Chatham in 2009.

The Daily Record of Parsippany reports Feliciano answered a series of questions in court Monday.

The 66-year-old is due to stand trial in September.

The Easton, Pa., resident told investigators he killed the priest because the cleric threatened to fire him if he ended their homosexual relationship.

Prosecutors say Feliciano made up that story because the priest was preparing to fire Feliciano after learning the janitor had been charged in 1988 with sexually touching a child.

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Information from: Daily Record, http://www.dailyrecord.com