PORT ANGELES — There will be no plea deal for the man accused of the beating death of his girlfriend, Amber Bulus-Steed.
Despite the fact that Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelley and defense attorney Terry Mulligan had said earlier this month that they were nearing agreement for a guilty plea from Nathan Eugene Hipsher, that arrangement fell through on Friday.
“Ultimately, when the time came, there just turned out not to be an agreement,” Kelley said.
Under the defunct plea deal, Hipsher would have agreed to 17 years in prison.
He now faces a maximum of 28 years if convicted by a jury of second-degree murder.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Ken Williams has set a starting trial date of Aug. 1.
The trial for Hipsher, 25, has already met with delay because he is suffering from cancer and has undergone chemotherapy and stem cell replacement treatment since his arrest in December.
The city of Sequim might be liable for more than $100,000 for Hipsher’s medical treatment costs, according to Sequim Police Chief Robert Spinks.
