YOUNGSTOWN — Katrina Layton, 37, accepted a new plea agreement Friday that could result in her getting 20 years in prison for her role in the murder and dismemberment of Shannon Graves.

Her earlier plea agreement called for her getting probation and no prison time. Her boyfriend, Arturo Novoa, 33, was sentenced in June to 48 years to life for his role in the crimes.

Friday afternoon, she pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to four counts of tampering with evidence, three counts of obstructing justice and one count of abuse of a corpse. She will be sentenced Jan. 29.

Prosecutors will recommend that she get 20 years in prison, but her defense attorneys will argue for 10 years.When Layton pleaded guilty Feb. 18, 2018, to obstruction of justice and abuse of a corpse, she was allowed to leave jail on a personal recognizance bond, meaning she didn’t have to pay anything.

But last week, Judge Anthony Donofrio ordered Layton to turn herself in Monday at the Mahoning County Justice Center and remain there unless she could post $20,000 bond. She has remained in jail.

LOVE CALLS

Donofrio ordered the $20,000 bond after a hearing in December in which special Prosecutor Dan Kasaris of the Ohio Attorney General’s office alleged Layton participated in 37 phone calls with Novoa while he was in prison, despite her being ordered to have no contact with him.

Kasaris also earlier filed a motion asking that Layton’s plea be revoked on allegations that she failed to live up to the plea agreement.

Novoa, 33, also known as Anthony Gonzalez, was sentenced in June for conspiring with others to murder Graves and hide her body in a freezer in Campbell.

He pleaded guilty in May to 47 charges, including abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, drug trafficking and possession of criminal tools.

Layton admitted to witnessing the murder, allowing Graves’ body to be dismembered in Layton’s garage, and to helping move the body.

Youngstown police detectives and the coroner said Graves was killed at her Mahoning Avenue home when she was struck in the head several times with a heavy object. Layton was indicted on a murder charge in the case and was held on a $1 million bond until her plea.

Kasaris asked Donofrio to reinstate the $1 million bond because of the telephone conversations with Novoa.

A Kasaris filing states that Layton “made direct communications with Novoa through the use of her disabled son’s phone and on at least a dozen calls (Layton) has used her disabled son to relay messages to Novoa through prison calls, including but not limited to, a marriage proposal, a marriage proposal acceptance, case discussion, witness discussion and other matters.”

The calls began Oct. 19, according to a printout Kasaris provided for a December hearing.

Lynn Maro, attorney for Layton, told Donofrio during the hearing that Layton deserves to be punished because having phone conversations with Novoa violated a court order, but Layton and Novoa “love each other,” and the calls were not related to criminal charges still pending against the remaining co-defendants.

AGREEMENT REACHED

Donofrio scheduled a two-day hearing Thursday and Friday to determine whether Layton’s guilty plea should be revoked on the grounds that she did not coooperate fully with prosecutors. The hearing did not go forward because the parties began to discuss a plea agreement.

When no agreement was reached by the end of the day Thursday, officials prepared to move forward with a hearing Friday. A large number of witnesses were scheduled to testify, but the hearing never began and a plea agreement was reached late Friday.

Husband and wife Andrew A. Herrmann and Michelle Ihlenfeld, both 28, of Francisca Avenue, are charged with helping Novoa mutilate and hide Graves’ body, as well as burn her belongings.

Herrmann’s next pretrial hearing is 10 a.m. Jan. 17 on 14 charges, including tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, obstructing justice and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

No hearings or trial date are set for Ihlenfeld on charges of intimidation, obstructing justice, abuse of a corpse, obstructing justice and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Both were also indicted on separate aggravated drug trafficking charges in June.