Steven Rackley Sentenced To 19 Years For Fatal Robbery

The man accused of killing someone in Shaker Heights back in 2006 avoided a murder conviction but was still sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Steven Rackley, 42, of Garfield Heights, was accused of fatally stabbing and robbing Mitchell Perry in the backyard of a home on Scottsdale Boulevard in Shaker Heights on November 8, 2006.

Rackley was originally charged with murder and his trial was slated to begin Monday in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

However, on Tuesday, Rackley pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and involuntary manslaughter. His remaining charges, which included kidnapping and tampering with evidence, were dismissed.

Judge Nancy McDonnaell then sentenced Rackley to 19 years in prison, according to the court's online docket. Once Rackley is released, he will be on parole for the next five years.

Perry -- who is from Richmond Heights and was then 26 years old -- died from a single stab wound to chest, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

The knife used to stab him was found a short distance from his body.

Investigators used DNA evidence that was found on the knife to identify Rackley, prosecutors said, who was arrested June 19, 2012.