MADISON, Wis. -- A former University of Wisconsin-Madison student is expected to plead guilty to fatally stabbing a man during an attempted robbery in January.

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Assistant Public Defender Dennis Burke said Adam Peterson, 20, of North Grant, Minn., will enter the plea to first-degree intentional homicide on Monday. Burke said prosecutors will recommend no more than 40 years in prison.

Burke said the defense was prepared to concede at the upcoming trial that Peterson killed Joel Marino, but that he should be found guilty of a lesser charge.

Burke told WISC-TV the plea is against his professional advice, but he said Peterson had a rough time in jail, including a suicide attempt, and just wanted to move on to prison.

Prosecutors said they have tapes of Peterson speaking with his parents from jail in which he admits killing Marino during an attempted robbery.

The 31-year-old Marino was stabbed at his Madison home on Jan. 28. Marino was a musician and technical representative for a medical device company.

Marino's family and friends said it's a relief to know that the closure they've been looking for might be closer than they thought.

"There's really no amount of time that's going to bring Joel back," said Bryan Bazan, Marino's best friend. "Honestly, I just hope that Adam Peterson goes to jail and never gets out."

Bazan said the friends and family are also relieved that they won't have to wait through the uncertainty of a trail.

"I think it definitely lifts a tremendous weight off of everyone's shoulders," Bazan said. "We weren't really sure what to expect at trial, and how the trial was going to go. We're finally going to get to the point where we might have some closure in Joel's death."

The plea hearing is set for Monday morning in Dane County Circuit Court. It's unclear if Peterson will be sentenced then or if sentencing will take place at a later date.