GRAND JUNCTION — A former Lafayette cop pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and felony eluding today in the March 22 deaths of two Mesa State College students, admitting he was drunk and acting recklessly at the time.

But Patrick Strawmatt, 42, entered pleas of not guilty to 19 other charges, including first-degree murder through "extreme indifference," first- and second-degree assault, numerous crimes of violence and other charges.

"It's the right thing to do and not put people through a long and arduous process," Strawmatt told Mesa County District Judge Brian Flynn.

Strawmatt is accused of racing away from Colorado State Patrol troopers, after making an obscene gesture at them when they attempted to stop him on Interstate 70 near Clifton, speeding up and slamming into the rear of a small car, killing both 19-year-old students.

Jake Brock's parents, Vern and Marilyn Brock of Eagle, and Jennifer Kois' mother and stepfather, Liane and Peter VanFeldt, of Brighton, were in court. They met with District Attorney Pete Hautzinger for a few minutes and left without comment.

Flynn said Strawmatt potentially could be sentenced to 72 years in prison on the charges he admitted, and set a trial date for Dec. 3 on the remainder. He declined to schedule Strawmatt's sentencing on the three counts he admitted as long as the other charges remain unresolved.

A conviction for first-degree murder carries a penalty of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

Strawmatt also faces an October trial in Park County on charges that he eluded officers while driving drunk, rammed the patrol car of Sheriff Fred Wegener and punched the sheriff in the face when Wegener tried to remove him from his vehicle.