Darius Koklas, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter just minutes before his trial was set to begin Friday, Feb. 1.

A crowded courtroom of potential jurors sat outside Pahrump's Fifth District Court as the defendant pleaded guilty to the category B felony, a lesser charge than the original single count of murder for which he was scheduled to stand trial.

The offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Judge John P. Davis scheduled the sentencing for April 8.

Koklas was arrested on Aug. 16 of last year after shooting his brother, Derek Koklas, twice with a shotgun in front of the men's mother, Phyllis Koklas.

The suspect left the scene after the incident but was apprehended in his vehicle by Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo about an hour and a half later.

The murder weapon was never recovered, but as part of Friday's plea agreement Darius will assist authorities in locating it, which evidence presented at the preliminary hearing indicated may be a shotgun Phyllis bought Derek from Wal-Mart.

Nye County Sheriff's Office Det. Mark Cannon testified at the preliminary hearing to finding an empty box of ammunition for a Remington 870 pump-action, 12-gauge shotgun in Darius' room, and Phyllis admitted to purchasing a Remington for the victim (although she said she was uncertain as to specifically what model the weapon was).

The story told through testimony at the preliminary hearing revealed the family was all in the living room where they lived.

Darius was coming in and out of the house through the kitchen door, cleaning out his car.

At the hearing, the boys' distraught and tearful mother, Phyllis Koklas, told the court the shooting shocked her because, according to her testimony, nothing had led up to it.

In spite of testifying that she didn't see the shooting, she stood by her statement that Darius was the perpetrator because, as she put it, "Well, if he didn't, who did? There were only us three in there."