FARMINGTON – A Farmington teen has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 1999 stabbing death of a neighbor.

Jeremiah Paulton, 18, entered the plea Wednesday in district court. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail, with all but seven years suspended, for the death of Blaine Jasper. Paulton was also sentenced to six years probation.

The prosecution and defense agreed to a maximum sentence of 15 years, but District Justice Robert Mullen decided upon a longer term.

The hearing was initially set to determine whether Paulton should be tried as an adult on a murder charge. Paulton waived his right to the bind-over hearing and entered his plea to manslaughter.

On April 22, 1999, there were several confrontations between Paulton’s family and Jasper’s, who all live in the same apartment building.

Prosecutors said that Paulton, then 16, stabbed Jasper in the back as Jasper fought with Paulton’s older brother, Daniel Paulton.

Daniel Paulton hid the five-inch knife in a Dumpster, but later led police to it.

Jasper, a father of five, died from a punctured lung while being flown to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Another teen, Derek Viles, was also injured.

More than two dozen of Jasper’s friends and family members, most of them wearing yellow roses, attended the hearing.

They were upset that all but seven years of the sentence were suspended.

Cindy Jasper, Blaine Jasper’s sister-in-law, told the judge “seven years isn’t justice. He’s getting away with murder.”

“We wished he had to serve the 20 years in jail,” Gary Jasper said after the hearing. “This court did not see fit to do justice for my brother today.”

In sentencing Paulton, Mullen said he considered Paulton’s youth and that Jasper was in his 30s and provoked the brawl and went to Paulton to settle a score. Mullen also said he considered Paulton’s home life and mental health.

Mullen said he also considered that Paulton stabbed Jasper when he was fighting with someone else and did not take responsibility for his acts.

Defense attorney Richard Morton said Paulton was sexually molested as a 6-year-old and had emotional problems.

Paulton has been held at the juvenile correctional facility at Charleston since his arrest in 1999. His caseworker said Paulton has earned his high school equivalency and has become motivated since his arrival.