CHARLOTTE -- After a scheduling issue with attorneys for Donny Franklin, court proceeded Friday with a plea hearing.

Franklin is accused of brutally murdering UNC Charlotte professor Jeannine Skinner last September.

There were tears and consoling on both sides of the courtroom. Loved ones of both Franklin and the victim, Jeannine Skinner, listened through both his guilty plea and victim impact statements.

Franklin pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder.

The Alford plea he entered shows he maintains his innocence surrounding Skinner’s death.

Prosecutors explain the UNCC professor was stabbed 200 times. They considered the crime heinous, atrocious, and cruel, which factored into their plea deal.

The maximum sentence Franklin could receive is 35 and a half years in jail.

He’ll get credit for the time he’s already spent behind bars.