NORWICH – An ex-convict that recently testified in exchange for a plea deal at the Ernest Franklin murder trial appeared in court on Monday, avoided a possible life sentence, and was instead sentenced to two years in prison.

Joshua A. Shurock, 30, of Norwich pleaded guilty to seventh-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree assault.

According to police, around 3:30 p.m. on August 24, 2017, Shurock was allegedly in possession of five individually packaged envelopes of heroin with the intent to sell. Police said he was arrested following a foot chase with a Norwich Police detective, and later charged with assaulting the officer.

Prosecutors said if convicted on the original charges, Shurock could have faced life in prison as punishment due to his prior felonies.

According to Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir, Jr., as part of the plea deal, Shurock was required to testify against murder trial defendant Ernest Franklin, and in return his charges would be reduced to misdemeanors. Revoir said Shurock would serve two years in prison as part of the deal.

"It was agreed that sentencing would be adjourned, and that he would testify truthfully in an unrelated trial," said Revoir. "The two charges would then be reduced to misdemeanor charges."

He said Shurock would receive one year for each charge, to be served consecutively. He added that Shurock was released on December 24, 2018.

Assistant District Attorney James Snashall discussed Shurock's murder trial testimony, and said the prosecution believed it to be truthful.

During the Franklin murder trial, Shurock said he and Franklin became friends, and they openly discussed different aspects of Franklin's case.

According to Shurock, Franklin eventually made multiple admissions to him, stating that he had planned killing his adopted son Jeffrey and that he used the internet to find different ways to get away with it.

"He told me that he looked up different ways to get away with murder but didn't want his wife to know at first," said Shurock. "He said he didn't realize that she was thinking the same thing,'"

He said Franklin told him when the two started to discuss killing their adopted son, they came up with a plan where he would do the killing, and she would leave the area so she wouldn't know more than she needed to.

"He said he wanted to do it because Jeffrey was disabled, and it was taxing on him and his wife,'" said Shurock. "He said he didn't realize what kind of a burden he would become over time.'"

Shurock said after speaking with Franklin, he reached out to the public defender's office and the district attorney's office to make a deal.

"I'm not just another jail-house snitch," said Shurock in a letter to the district attorney's office and public defender's office. "I want to get two monsters off the streets forever."

Revoir said because the prosecution felt Shurock's testimony was truthful, the plea deal could continue.

"As it pertains to this case, he's done. There are no further requirements," said Revoir.

According to records from the Norwich Police Department, Shurock is now facing additional charges as of last Friday.

The document states that Shurock was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, resisting arrest, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance following a traffic stop on Clinton Street in the City of Norwich.