HARLAN, Ky. - A county man admitted Tuesday to murdering his parents, burning their bodies, then dumping their ashes and bone fragments into the Cumberland River in 1997.

Gary Damon Stephens, 28, formerly of Coldiron, was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and believed that his mother and father had been replaced by “pod people” who intended to hurt him, attorneys said.

Commonwealth's Attorney Henry Johnson said every psychiatrist who examined Mr. Stephens concurred that he was mentally ill, which would have left a jury with the options of finding him guilty but mentally ill or not guilty by reason of insanity.

“Neither side wanted to throw the dice on that,” Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Stephens was charged with the murders five years ago but was declared incompetent to stand trial. He has been undergoing treatment at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center since then, and was declared competent for trial in February.

Mr. Stephens pleaded guilty but insane under the agreement between Mr. Johnson and defense attorney Robert Thomas. Mr. Johnson agreed to recommend a 20-year sentence that would make Mr. Stephens eligible for parole in 10 years.

“Given the nature of the crimes, an early parole date is not likely,” Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Stephens, shackled and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, sat quietly in the courtroom with his hands clasp in front of him. When the judge asked him questions, he answered them succinctly.

“I have very little recollect of anything that I did,” he said. “I was very sick. I was mentally ill at the time.”

Mr. Johnson said authorities believe Mr. Stephens used a shotgun to kill his parents, Gary and Sophia Stephens of Coldiron. Mr. Johnson said Mr. Stephens burned their bodies with kerosene and tires.

“The actual cause of death is something we cannot be certain of,” Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Thomas said Mr. Stephens had been an intelligent young man who did well in school, earned an associate's degree in college, and got a job as a postal worker in Harlan County. As his mental illness progressed, Mr. Stephens became less functional.

Mr. Thomas said Mr. Stephens believed his TV and radio were giving him secret messages and that his parents and other relatives were replaced by duplicates, and that those duplicates wanted to hurt him.

Mr. Stephens' brother, Darrin Stephens, said his parents wanted to get help for his brother but feared doing so would jeopardize his position with the Postal Service.

“They didn't want to destroy his future,” Darrin Stephens said.

Mr. Thomas said the only thing his client knows of the murders are details that he has read or been told about. Mr. Stephens opted to plead guilty so that his family wouldn't have to go through the pain of a trial.

Harlan County Circuit Judge Ron Johnson hasn't yet accepted the plea agreement. He said he will announce his decision on Nov. 22.

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