Man pleads guilty in death of IU-NW professor

CROWN POINT, Ind. -- A Gary man pleaded guilty Thursday to the murder of a retired Indiana University Northwest administrator.\nLamar Ricketts, 23, pleaded guilty to murder in the course of a robbery and being a habitual offender in the beating and stabbing death of Silas "Bill" May, a retired IU-Northwest professor and vice chancellor.\nRicketts faces a maximum sentence of 97 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 24 in Lake County Superior Court.\nRicketts had four prior felony convictions before being charged with May's murder. He was accused of beating May July 17 at the victim's home in Gary and then stealing his car.\nRicketts was arrested the morning after the murder when he was pulled over while driving May's car.\nAt the time, Ricketts told authorities he and May fought over payment for a car he intended to buy from May. The dispute turned physical, with Ricketts telling police that the two pushed and hit one another.\nMay, 64, was a retired biology professor and vice chancellor at IU-Northwest. He had retired last year after working at the university since 1974.