Officer's son pleads guilty in friends' deaths

CLAYTON, Mo. -- The son of a St. Louis County police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the death of two friends.

Brandon Ostendorf, 20, was behind the wheel of a car that crashed in July 2002, killing two of his friends.

St. Louis County Police Lt. William Ostendorf was working the late shift when police received the call about the accident. When he responded, he found his son the only survivor of the crash.

Brandon Ostendorf had previously pleaded innocent, but Wednesday he appeared in court to withdraw that plea and enter a guilty plea.

Prosecutors said Brandon Ostendorf was legally drunk when he crashed while street racing July 31. His friends, Jonathan Hearst and Kevin Houska, both 19, were killed instantly when the car hit a guardrail.

Houska's parents and members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving attended Wednesday's hearing.

Brandon Ostendorf faces a maximum of 14 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 24.