Man pleads guilty to lesser charges in methadone deaths

KSDK -- A man scheduled to stand trial for the deaths of two Ironton women and drug charges pled guilty to charges Wednesday in an Iron County Circuit courtroom.

Mitchell Barton, 61, pled guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of drug distribution. He was originally charged with second-degree murder.

The charges are in connection to the deaths of Alexis Marshall, 57, and Suzanne Bates, 48, in November 2007.

Barton was ordered to serve concurrent 10 year prison terms on the drug charges and serve seven concurrent years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charges.

Investigators said Barton gave methadone to the victims while they were at the Long Pine Congregate Rehabilitation Center in Iron County which resulted in their deaths.