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John T. Netti, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder (a Class B felony) that morning before Judge Thomas Leone.

Netti attacked a woman who was walking her dog near Rockingham Road in February 2024, jumping out of a parked trailer and strangling her as she tried to escape.

The defendant's competency to stand trial was a subject of ongoing debate. But as part of his plea, he said in court Thursday that due to the evidence against him, he ultimately decided to plead guilty to avoid what would have been a longer sentence if he lost a trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 1 to five years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.

Also during Thursday's proceedings, Cayuga County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Susan Azzarelli discussed facts of the case that her office would have attempted to establish in a trial. They include Netti squeezing the victim's neck so hard that she began to lose consciousness, Azzarelli said. Netti said as part of his plea that he has no memory of the attack.

Before accepting Netti's plea, Leone asked Azzarelli if the victim agreed with the plea. Azzarelli said that she did.

Two psychiatrists determined last year that Netti was not mentally competent to stand trial, so he was placed in a secure mental health facility. He was later reevaluated and was determined to be able to proceed, and he was transferred to the Cayuga County Jail. Netti's attorney, Rome Canzano, asked in November that the case be adjourned pending another evaluation as part of a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.