Deadly Atlantic City Casino Stabbing Leads to Guilty Plea by Former MMA Fighter
On Thursday, a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter entered a guilty plea for the fatal 2022 knife attack at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City.
Philadelphia resident Andrew Osborne, 35, entered a plea to one count of first-degree aggravated manslaughter.
He may spend up to 25 years in prison after being convicted on August 22nd, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
Head and neck injuries
Brian Wilkinson, 47, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, was the victim. The two men were in a guest room at the Boardwalk hotel when he was stabbed in the head and neck.
After the attack on September 23, 2022, Osborne put on the victim's shoes and pants. Then, after driving back to Philadelphia for around thirty minutes, Osborne and his spouse got into a silver Hyundai Accent hatchback.
The cause and method of Wilkinson's death were confirmed by an autopsy.
Long after Wilkinson was stabbed, his nude body was discovered on the hotel room floor. According to BreakingAC.com, a T-shirt and underpants were discovered next to the body.
Three days after the murder, Osborne was taken into custody on charges of first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a firearm for unauthorized use. To face trial for the murder, he was extradited to New Jersey.
He has been detained at the Atlantic County Justice Facility since his indictment in December 2022.
Fighter in MMA
We don't know a lot about Osborne. Osborne stopped competing as a professional mixed martial artist in 2017, according to NJ1015.com, which cited data from ESPN.
Over a number of years, Tapology, an MMA fan site, stated that his record was 7-11-1.
According to NJ.com, Wilkinson was a bookkeeper who had previously worked for a construction company.
"Brian’s death was very tragic and sudden and [he] will be sadly missed by everyone that knew him,” an obituary published by the Press of Atlantic City, revealed.
On the obituary page, Heather L., a friend, wrote, "My condolences to Brian's family and friends." Brian and I were classmates, and he was a genuinely nice guy. There will be many who miss him.