A Brookfield man pleaded no contest to first degree intentional homicide of a Wisconsin woman at his recent court hearing in Jefferson County, Wis.

James A. Hole, 35, whose last known address was an apartment at 4441 Eberly Ave., Brookfield, was charged with first degree intentional homicide, arson of a building and burglary after police said he killed a 71-year-old Realtor, according to court records.

Police said Ann Nelson, an agent with RE/MAX, was showing Hole a home in Oakland, Wis., March 18.

Detective Sgt. Lawrence Lee of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department said police received a call and responded after Nelson’s daughter said her mother did not return from work.

“Hole started strangling her and hit her over the head with a fireplace poker and then, to cover up what he did, he started a mattress on fire in the room she was in,” Lee said.

Hole also was charged with arson and burglary; however, those charges were dropped after he pleaded no contest to the first degree intentional homicide charge Nov. 4.

Rhonda Rohloff, office manager for the Jefferson County, Wis., district attorney, said Hole faces a life sentence in prison.

Court records show Hole was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault in 1995. He served 10 years before being released in 2006. That assault took place in Chicago Ridge after Hole attempted to rape a woman and then stabbed her in the neck with a knife.

Hole also was convicted of burglary in 1991 and again in 1994.