( Reuter )- A New York City man pleaded guilty on Thursday to murdering "Waitress" director Adrienne Shelly in her Manhattan apartment and then making it look like she had committed suicide, authorities said.
Shelly, who made her name as an actress in independent films "The Unbelievable Truth" and "Trust," was murdered on November 1, 2006, just days after completing "Waitress," which received rave reviews and in which she also co-starred.
Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Diego Pillco admitted killing Shelly when he entered her apartment and she caught him stealing her wallet. Shelly reached for the phone to call police, but he grabbed it and a fight ensued.
"The defendant further admitted that he covered the victim's mouth and nose with his hand until she passed out. He then took a sheet, choked her to death, and made it look like a suicide," Morgenthau said in a statement.
He said Pillco had waived his right to appeal and will be sentenced in March. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
Romantic comedy "Waitress," starring Keri Russell, registered the second-highest box office takings per screen on its opening weekend in May 2007, second to "Spider-Man 3."
Shelly's husband, Andrew Ostroy, has now established The Adrienne Shelly Foundation to provide grants and scholarships to young women filmmakers. The couple have a young daughter.