Jacqmain pleads in 2010 Motel 6 murder

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Jack Jacqmain, accused of stabbing a 31-year-old Indianapolis man at a Walker motel in 2010, pleaded no contest Monday to second-degree murder but being mentally ill.

As part of the plea deal an open murder charge was dropped.

Though Judge James Redford accepted Jacqmain's plea, he noted for the record he does not believe Jacqmain was legally insane at the time Mark Moore was stabbed to death at the Motel 6. That means when Jacqmain, 54, is sentenced on September 10, he will face the same penalties as anyone convicted of second-degree murder.

He could spend 22-46 years in prison, but he will receive treatment for his mental illness.

Moore was staying at the hotel while he was in the area on business. His wife and mother were in court for the hearing. Neither wanted to share their thoughts on this development, but they did agree to the plea deal.

His attorney, Val Foster, said it has been a lengthy and difficult case, but she is comfortable with the outcome.

"It's a win-win situation for everybody under the circumstances," she said. "The family will receive some closure. They will have the knowledge that justice has been served, and on the other hand, Mr. Jacqmain will continue to receive the help that he needs for his mental health issues but in a controlled environment so he does not pose a threat to others in society."

Moore's widow, Jarrin Moore, filed a lawsuit in February against Motel 6 and a host of mental health providers.

The lawsuit alleges a series of missteps from Motel 6 and Pine Rest, River Valley Behavioral Health, Hope Network, Trinity Health and Touchstone that Moore and her attorneys say played a role in her husband's fatal stabbing.

Motel 6 "breached its duty to provide safe and secure premises by failing to respond to complaints about Jacqmain," the lawsuit claims. Those complaints surfaced at the October 2011 preliminary exam for Jacqmain when witnesses said he was taking shots at a patron with a make-believe gun, pouring water on people's heads and singing that he was Popeye the Sailor Man.

The mental health facilities are included in the lawsuit because, it's claimed, they contributed to Mark Moore's death in some way when Jacqmain simply disappeared from court-ordered treatment on Aug. 12, 2010.

If they had done their jobs, the suit maintains, Jacqmain would not have had the opportunity to stab Moore to death on Aug. 18, 2010.

Jarrin Moore's lawsuit does not list any monetary amount, but she is seeking compensation for the loss of her husband.