AUSTIN, Texas — Justin Allen Crabbe, 19, of Austin, Texas, might consider himself lucky with two plea bargains under his belt with the Travis County justice system. The first negotiated him out of county jail to a prison boot camp for three felony convictions. The second, announced Wednesday, kept him from receiving a life sentence for the murder of Jennifer Ann Crecente, his ex-girlfriend.

On Feb. 15, 2006, Crecente, 18, whose family was formerly of Moultrie, was shot to death in a wooded area in her neighborhood in Austin. Accused of her murder, Crabbe accepted a plea deal Wednesday and will spend at least 17-1/2 years in prison on a 35-year sentence, according to the Austin TV station, CBS-42. The plea deal is contingent on his cooperation in a future trial, CBS-42 reported.

“We believe he is going to be testifying truthfully and cooperating with the state at a later trial,” Travis County Assistant District Attorney Amy Meredith told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

A pair of other developments in the case also came to light Wednesday. Ricardo Ramon, 24, was indicted July 17 in the teen’s death. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday, one day after Ramon was arrested in Aransas County, Texas, by U.S. marshals, according to the American-Statesman.

Crabbe’s plea deal is based on him testifying against Ramon in his upcoming murder trial, reported CBS-42.

At the time of his arrest, Crabbe said Ramon was with him and Crecente when she was shot. According to a police affidavit, Crabbe said the shooting was an accident that happened while he and Ramon were playing with the gun.

Last year, in an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, Ramon’s father said that his son was with him at the time of the shooting and maintained that he was innocent of the crime.

No date for Ramon’s trial was available at time of press and Rebecca Taylor of CBS-42 said that prosecutors were being “tight-lipped” about what his involvement may be.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Crecente’s parents both took the stand and spoke to Crabbe.

“No matter what else you ever do with your life, you will forever be the coward that shot my daughter from behind,” said Drew Crecente, her father.

Crabbe had three prior felony convictions and, according to KVUE.com, classmates described the couple’s relationship as sometimes volatile, but they say Crecente never reached out to them for help.

Drew Crecente is the driving force behind Jennifer Ann’s Group, an organization that’s mission is to “educate, inform and then direct” teens, who may be victims of violence, to already existing organizations that can help them. He said he would like this organization to be a conduit for teens through the group’s website, www.jenniferann.org.

During this weekend’s production of “Oliver!” at the Colquitt County Arts Center, educational cards from Jennifer Ann’s Group will be available at a display in the front lobby of Wright Auditorium. There will also be bracelets, lapel pins and key chains with the Jennifer Ann Group logo on them for sale with all proceeds going to the organization. Each performance has been dedicated to the memory of the teen, who performed in Arts Center shows during summers visiting her father in Moultrie.