Pennsylvania man slaughtered dad, stepmom and dogs with sword before leaving chilling note on door

A Pennsylvania man has pleaded no contest to charges of killing his father and stepmother with a sword in their home nearly five years ago.

Levar Fountain, 43, entered the pleas to third-degree murder in York County Court, dodging a trial set to start this week. The more severe first-degree murder charges , which come with a mandatory life sentence without parole , were dropped.

Fountain's sentencing is on the calendar for Nov. 8. Back in December 2019, authorities say Fountain was off his medication for schizophrenia when he killed 74-year-old John Fountain and 65-year-old Mary Fountain in the York residence they shared.

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The suspected murder weapon, a sword, was found in his bedroom. After the killings, officials report that Fountain moved his parents' bodies to the basement, left a note on the front door claiming the couple had returned to Florida, and secluded himself in his room for three days.

He also killed the couple's dogs, explaining to authorities that they were "known as 'God' but spelled backwards, which made them lower class dragons and they had to be killed." Despite the confession and evidence, some family members are in disbelief.

The York Dispatch revealed that several relatives, including his sister Caren Fountain, doubt his guilt. She recounted that just days before his plea, he claimed not to remember the crime and insisted he "would never" harm the victims.

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Defense attorney Clasina Houtman refrained from commenting but highlighted that her office had filed paperwork to use an insanity defense if the case had gone to trial, however, it was her client's decision not to proceed with a trial.

In a no-contest plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a conviction. During the legal proceedings, attorneys agreed that Fountain doesn't recall the deaths due to his mental state at the time.