BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont man accused of killing his prison cellmate has taken a plea deal.
Police said Mbyayenge “Robbie” Mafuta, 23, of South Burlington, beat Jeffrey Hall, 55, in their cell at the prison in St. Albans in December 2022. Hall died three months after the attack, in March 2023. Mafuta was charged with second-degree murder in Hall’s death.
Thursday, Mafuta pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault. The plea agreement calls for an eight-year sentence with credit for time served, meaning he will spend six more years behind bars. He also faces 25 years with strict probation conditions after his release, including mental health treatment and anger management counseling.
A judge will make the final decision on his sentence.
WCAX News has followed cases that police connected to Mafuta since 2021 when he was the center point of a use-of-force investigation in Burlington.
A year later, police said he went on a vandalism spree in Burlington’s South End, damaging more than 30 properties. Despite being screened for mental health concerns following that incident, Mafuta was held at the prison in St. Albans. That’s where police said Mafuta attacked Hall in their cell.
In the days before the assault, Vermont Corrections medical staff noted that Mafuta made comments that he was hearing voices in his head and was throwing things in his cell.