BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – A Colchester woman on Thursday admitted she killed her sister during an argument more than three years ago.

Carolyn Walters, 45, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the 2003 bludgeoning death of Mary Abeling, 48, also of Colchester. Walters originally had been charged with second-degree murder.

She faces a maximum of 10 to 15 years in prison, defense attorney David J. Williams said. The defense can argue for a shorter sentence.

“This was a terrible argument between sisters that ended tragically,” Williams said.

Prosecutors have said Walters killed Abeling by striking her in the head with a glass wine decanter at Abeling’s home.

The defense had argued that Abeling may also have tried to commit suicide around the time of the argument.

Prosecutors told the judge Thursday they were not sure they would win a murder conviction if the case had gone to trial. That’s because Abeling did not have a discernible brain injury and had toxic levels of a prescription drug in her system at the time of her death.

Prosecutors and Walters’ lawyers have said Abeling had a high level of antidepressants in her body when she died.

Abeling’s murder was unsolved for 18 months until police arrested Walters in September 2004, after an extensive investigation of forensic and physical evidence and medical records.

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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com