A Hyde Park man today pleaded guilty to stabbing an associate to death, accepting a 12-year state prison sentence rather than face trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced today.

MICHAEL ROSADO (D.O.B. 9/15/77) admitted to stabbing 32-year-old Robert Kelley, Jr., also of Hyde Park, shortly after midnight on Sept. 26, 2007. Indicted for second-degree murder, which carries a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 15 years, Rosado pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to a state prison term of 12 years.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hallal would have introduced evidence and testimony to show that the two men had arranged to met in the area of Perkins Street near Jamaica Pond on the night of the incident.

Shortly after arriving, the two men had a verbal disagreement that rapidly escalated into physical violence.

“Mikey, I’ll give you the money tomorrow,” witness would have testified to hearing Kelley say.

The fight escalated even further, evidence would have shown, when Rosado produced a knife and stabbed Kelley in the chest, back, and arm.

“Mikey,” witnesses heard Kelley say, “you’re killing me.”

Investigators believe Kelley was able to get inside his pick-up truck and drive a short distance before collapsing out of the passenger’s side door. For his part, Rosado fled in a blue van and eventually left Massachusetts.

Witnesses called for help and an ambulance rushed Kelley to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

After Suffolk prosecutors approved a warrant for Rosado’s arrest, Boston Police detectives and U.S. Marshals tracked Rosado to Hollywood, Florida, and arrested him without incident.

Rosado was represented by attorney Andrew Good.