Mom accused of killing daughter rejects plea deal

The Oviedo mother who allegedly told investigators she shot and killed her 17-year-old daughter before trying to kill herself in January 2014 rejected a plea deal Wednesday.  Sujatha Guduru told the judge she wants to spend the rest of her life in prison. 

Defense attorney Brian Bieber negotiated a deal that would have allowed Guduru to spend 30 years behind bars and the rest of her life on probation if she plead guilty to second-degree murder.  “I just thought about it for three months and this is what I want,” Guduru told the judge of the life sentence. 

According to investigators, Guduru shot her daughter, Chetana, twice in the face, waited 30 minutes to make sure was dead, then shot herself in the chest.  Guduru allegedly told police she killed her daughter because there would be no one to take care of the teen once she committed suicide.

Judge Kenneth Lester opined in open court: “I assume that she feels great guilt over the circumstances of this case.”  

Bieber had originally prepared an insanity defense, but late last year Guduru said she wanted to plead guilty and the deal was prepared.   “The family is up in arms.  Ms. Guduru has essentially gone rogue.  She has disregarded all the legal advice that we have given her.  I do believe she has a viable insanity defense,” Bieber said.

Bieber told the judge he doesn’t believe Guduru is acting rationally, so the judge ordered another mental evaluation for Guduru, who has already been examined by several doctors in connection with the case.
She may eventually get what she wants regardless of the doctor’s opinion. 

The plea deal is now off the table. 

“The charge that she’s facing now is premeditated first degree murder which carries with it a mandatory life sentence,” Bieber said.