Killer's claim: I didn't speak English

For the second time, Tomas Peck was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in prison for raping a woman and stabbing her boyfriend to death.

Peck, who pleaded guilty in January to killing correctional officer Tyrone Terry of North Carolina, tried to withdraw his guilty plea by claiming he didn't understand English. He spoke Thursday in Spanish through an interpreter, but pleaded guilty in English in January.

After state Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Doyle conferred with Prosecutor James Chalifoux and defense attorney Eric Naiburg of Central Islip, Naiburg said his client's English was excellent.

Naiburg said he spent two hours speaking in English with Peck after the most recent plea.

"I would have requested an interpreter if I thought there were any possibility he didn't understand English," Naiburg said.

After the first time Peck pleaded guilty, a state appellate court reversed it because it said Doyle failed to advise him he'd be on supervised release if he ever made parole.