A 33-year-old Hoover man pleaded guilty in the slaying of his girlfriend, who was found beaten to death in her apartment last year.

Cortez Lenarde Warren was set to go to trial next week in the killing of Madison Shea Pilkington. She was found slain Jan. 29, 2022, at her home at The Halston apartments in Hoover.

Both Pilkington, 25, and Warren worked at Baumhowers Victory Grille in Vestavia Hills, and had been dating less than one year.

Authorities said Warren was Pilkington’s manager at the restaurant and killed her because he was angry that she was telling people they were dating, which was prohibited because he was her supervisor.

Warren Wednesday morning entered his guilty plea before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety.

He was represented by the Jefferson County Public Defender Office. Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Roberts and Deputy District Attorney Neal Zarzour prosecuted the case.

Street set a formal sentencing date for August.

Pilkington’s family was at the hearing but declined to comment until after sentencing.

“After much discussion and with the agreement of Madison’s family the plea agreement is for the defendant to receive a sentence of 35 years to serve in the department of corrections. He will be sentenced August 9, 2023, ‘‘ prosecutor Roberts told AL.com following the guilty plea.

“Madison was only 25-years-old and was one class short of graduating from UAB when she was senselessly and brutally beat to death by the defendant because he did not want their relationship public and risk losing his job due to the fact that he was her manager,’’ Roberts said. “Madison was a hard worker, an artist and will forever be missed by her friends, family and community.”

“Deputy District Attorney Neal Zarzour and I are thankful to Hoover Police Department for all their hard work on this case and to Madison’s family for trusting us to guide them through this difficult process,’ he said..

Pilkington was a graduate of Springville High School and was attending college with hopes of a career in graphics and design.

Pilkington’s family members last communicated with her via text three days prior to her being found dead and became increasingly concerned when she did not show up for work on Thursday and Friday.

A family member who had a key to the couple’s apartment went inside just after 4 a.m. Saturday and saw a pile of blankets on the couch. When he moved them, court records state, he found Pilkington bruised and unresponsive with a white grocery sack over her head.

He immediately left the apartment and called 911.

Investigators quickly identified Warren as a suspect and immediately began searching for him and a white Nissan Altima.

In the early afternoon, he was spotted in the vehicle. He traveled through Irondale and Birmingham, and then onto Interstate 65 northbound with officers from multiple agencies behind him, including Hoover, Irondale and Fultondale.

As Warren pulled on the shoulder of the interstate to stop, the officers following him were trying to stop as well.

At that point, a passing motorist – 62-year-old Julie Johnson of New Orleans, struck a Fultondale officer’s SUV from behind. The officer and Johnson were taken to UAB Hospital.

Warren was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful possession of marijuana.

He had previous arrests for domestic violence involving another woman, but those charges ultimately were dismissed.

“She was beautiful both inside and out,’’ said her aunt, Dana Armstrong. “She was loved by everyone who knew her.”

Her mother, Shea Wardrup Pilkington-Wiley, posted this about the guilty plea in the Justice For Madison Shea Facebook group, which has more than 5,000 members:

“After hearing and seeing just a small amount of our evidence, I have decided it is just too much to put my family, especially my boys through. I don’t want my family to relive what Madison went through and see her in that condition.

“It’s an image that will be permanently engrained in the mind. And honestly, we do not trust our justice system.

“Please understand that this was the hardest decision I think I have ever made and a lot of tears have been shed. But true justice would be the death penalty and in today’s society, that is not even an option.”