As part of the plea bargain, his defense attorney and the prosecutor have both recommended a 24-year prison term — starting from the day he was arrested.

Twenty-four years is a severe sentence for a minor to receive for murder in Israel. But if Sheinbein had been tried in Maryland, he would have faced life imprisonment with no chance for early release.

Maryland legal authorities expressed anger over the possibility that Sheinbein will spend only 24 years in prison and be eligible for weekend furloughs and partial commutation of his sentence after several years.

On Oct. 11, the court will hear their arguments for sentencing.

The anger of Maryland officials also may have been fueled by the failed attempt to have Sheinbein extradited to the United States.

Sheinbein fled to Israel several days after the murder. He could not be extradited, because at the time Israeli law barred the extradition of Israeli citizens, which Sheinbein technically was, based on the birthplace of his father. The Knesset changed the law as a result, but it is not retroactive.

According to the charge sheet, Sheinbein "and Needle brutally attacked Tello, choking him by wrapping a rope around his neck, hitting him several times on his head using a blunt object with the intention to cause his death." After they killed Tello, they cut off his limbs with a chainsaw and then hid the limbs and burned the body.