The man accused in the death of Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy Michael Magli has now entered a guilty plea and has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Robert Holzaepfel was in court in Pinellas County this afternoon in a change of plea hearing. Deputies say Holzaepfel struck and killed Magli on February 17, 2021, as the 30-year-old deputy was attempting to stop Holzaepfel's car along East Lake Rd near Forelock Rd. in Tarpon Springs. Magli was pinned under the car and died at the scene.
At the time, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Holzaepfel had a BAC of .230, was driving with a suspended license, and had been arrested 16 times previously.
Magli was the first-ever Pinellas County deputy to die in the line of duty.
photo: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office