SAC CITY — A Lytton man accused of stabbing another man in January 2020 has entered an Alford plea for the crime.

David Littlefield, 59, was arrested on Jan. 23, 2020, after sheriff’s deputies say he stabbed Luke Clark, 49, of Lytton, at least twice in the 600 block of Railway Street in Lytton shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Littlefield was charged with one count of attempted murder, a Class B felony, and one count of going armed with intent, a Class D felony.

Under the plea agreement with the state, Littlefield entered an Alford plea on Oct. 21 to one count of willful injury resulting in serious injury, a Class C felony, acknowledging that the state of Iowa would be able to prove to a jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, the elements of the criminal charge of willful injury. However, with the Alford plea, Littlefield does not admit guilt of the crime itself, but agrees there is strong evidence of his guilt that would be presented at trial.

The state also agreed to dismiss the attempted murder charge, and had previously amended the charge of going armed with intent to the charge of willful injury.

According to the criminal complaint for the Jan. 23, 2020, incident, Sgt. Jonathan Meyer, of the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, responded to Essentia Protein Solutions, where a stabbing victim had walked and called law enforcement. Upon arrival, Meyer found Clark bloody and with stab wounds to his stomach and right arm.

Clark informed Meyer that Littlefield had stabbed him in the 600 block of Railway Street.

Upon interviewing the defendant, Littlefield told Meyer that Clark had attacked him and “really couldn’t remember what happened.”

Sac County Sheriff Ken McClure located the knife that was used in the altercation on the kitchen table of Littlefield’s residence.

With the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Littlefield be sentenced to an indeterminate prison sentence of up to 10 years, and he will receive credit for the nearly 200 days he’s been in custody. He will also be fined $1,575.

Littlefield’s sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 3, 2022.

Sac County Attorney Benjamin Smith has filed a waiver of appearance for the sentencing, citing the Sac County Attorney’s Office’s failed attempts to communicate with Clark and evidence of Clark’s “evidencing his indifference about the dispositional phases of this prosecution.”

If the District Court judge approves the waiver, Littlefield will be sentenced according to the plea agreement recommendation.