By STEPHEN GAY, NG Staff Reporter, stephen@nasguard.com

An Arkansas man pleaded guilty in a U.S. Federal Court in Florida to four counts of first degree murder in connection with the slayings of four Miami Beach charter boat crew members in Bahamian waters last year.

The admission was part of a plea agreement that would send Kirby Archer to prison for the rest of his life and spare him the death penalty, reported the Associated Press.

Archer, who had previously pleaded not guilty to the September boat hijacking and killings, pleaded guilty to four counts of first degree murder, kidnapping, illegal seizure of a maritime vessel and other charges.

Archer, 36, admitted to shooting the captain of the vessel, "Joe Cool", Jake Branam, 27, and his wife, Kelley Branam, 30, after they balked at taking Archer to Cuba last September.

Assistant U.S. attorney Karen Gilbert said that his co-defendant, Guillermo Zarabozo, 20, of Hialeah, Florida shot the two crew mates, Branam's half-brother, Scott Gamble, 35, and first mate Samuel Kairy, 27.

All of the victims were from Miami Beach.

Almost a year ago, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S. were investigating claims that hijackers killed four missing crew members of the F/V "Joe Cool" while cruising from Florida to Bimini last year.

According to reports, crew members went missing from a boat found adrift near the Cay Sal Bank in The Bahamas.

In days immediately following initial reports a search was conducted off waters north of Cuba to The Bahamas and South Florida for the missing people.

The search revealed Zarabozo's Florida identification card, six marijuana cigarettes, multiple half-opened packs of cigarettes, a laptop computer, computer accessories, luggage, a daily planner, clothing, cameras and a cellular phone, according to the sworn affidavit by FBI Special Agent Richard Blais to the United States District Court last year.

A handcuff key was also reportedly found on the vessel's bow, as well as a substance on the vessel's stern that appeared to be blood.

According to the affidavit, Zarabozo said that upon boarding, hijackers immediately shot and killed the captain, then shot the captain's wife because she was hysterical.

Zarabozo claimed that the hijackers then directed one of the crew members to throw the bodies overboard, but when he refused, the crewman was shot and killed.

The same request was made of the last crew member, who also refused and faced the same consequence.