NORWICH – Tammi L. Van Deusen, 31, pleaded guilty Wednesday in county court and was set free after nearly seven years of incarceration. Van Deusen pleaded guilty to first degree robbery for her role in the 2000 drug robbery which ultimately led to the shooting death of Edward Pastore Jr.

Originally Van Deusen was also charged with second degree murder, first degree robbery and first degree criminal use of firearms.

“If there was absolutely any doubt in my mind that you had known someone was going to be killed, I would not accept this plea and would not accept any plea short of second degree murder,” said Broome County Court Judge Martin E. Smith.

Smith said he would not accept Van Deusen’s plea if certain parts of her prior testimony could not be cleared up. Van Deusen admitted to her role in the crime by saying she knew and helped to plan the robbery of a fellow drug dealer. She admitted to acquiring firearms for the purpose of being used in the crime. Van Deusen also said she showed her co-conspirators where to find the Pastore home by driving them to the Lewis Road, Norwich location. All these things she had previously denied in court.

The question of whether or not State Police Investigator Michael Franz read Van Deusen her Miranda rights was also cleared up as Van Deusen admitted to making “false statements” to the court.