ROGERS CITY — Grisly details of the death of murder victim Heather Young, 42, were revealed Monday by Brenton Lee Walker, who pleaded guilty in the case to two felony counts, including second degree murder, during a hearing.

Walker became a murder suspect after Young, a Marshall resident, went missing after being seen at the Cabin Bar and Grill in Onaway with Walker in the early hours of July 31.

Young’s remains eventually were found Aug. 9 on property in Millersburg by the Michigan State Police.

The guilty plea, along with a felony firearms guilty plea, were given by Walker during a hearing in Presque Isle County’s 53rd Circuit Court and was part of a plea deal established by former Presque Isle County Prosecutor Richard Steiger just after the incident, according to current Prosecutor Kenneth Radzibon.

Under sentencing guidelines Walker could face up to life in prison for the murder charge and a mandatory two consecutive years in jail for the firearms charge.

A sentencing date has been scheduled for June 12, according to court staff.

During the hearing Walker admitted using a .22 rifle to kill Young before working to dispose of her remains.

“I shot Heather Young twice, burned her in a fire pit and cut her up with a chainsaw,” Walker told Circuit Court Judge Scott C. Pavlich. “It happened out in Millersburg on Rainy Lake on my brother’s property.”

During the plea hearing Pavlich asked whether Walker believed the gun shots were what killed Young outright. Walker said Young was dead before her remains were burned and dismembered.

Walker gave no explanation during the hearing as to his motivations in killing Young. His public defender, attorney Michael Vogler, did not wish to comment after the hearing.

Radzibon said he did not wish to make specific comments concerning motive until after Walker’s sentencing.

Radzibon did, however, discuss the timeline of the case that has been adjourned as many as five times in recent months as the court waited for a report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service’s Center for Forensic Psychiatry

“It was all due to the forensic report,” Radzibon said. “We waited a long time for that report on criminal responsibility. It took forever for to get that. They determined that he was responsible in this thought process.”

Radzibon said because of the seriousness of the crime officials wanted to dig as much as possible into Walker’s life.

As part of the plea agreement other charges were dropped in the case, including a charge of mutilation and disinterment of a corpse, and a requirement that Walker be classified as a repeat offender.

Pavlich told Walker that a sentence was not negotiated in the deal and he still could be given a life sentence after it was argued by prosecution and defense. Walker said he understood and that by entering a plea he waived rights, including rights to a trial.

Radzibon, who became county prosecutor after the case entered the court system, said he upheld the plea agreement originally organized by Steiger.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.