CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A man charged in the stabbing death of a Lowcountry teen more than two years ago was sentenced Wednesday morning.

Judge R. Markley Dennis, Jr. sentenced Matthew Fischer to 30 years, suspended at 18 years, in prison for the 2015 stabbing death of Lucas Cavanaugh.

Dennis ruled that Fischer must serve 85 percent of his sentence; potentially meaning he will serve for 15.3 years in prison plus two years probation.

19-year-old Fischer pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Tuesday, November 7 in court in Charleston.

Prosecutors say 17-year-old Lucas Cavanaugh was stabbed to death in Mount Pleasant in 2015 in a dispute over a girlfriend. Fischer had said he was defending himself.

Fischer had been charged with murder, which carries a penalty of 30 years and life in prison. The manslaughter plea carries a sentence of between two and 30 years.

Prosecutors have pointed to text messages before the fatal confrontation in which Fischer told Cavanaugh that he would kill him.Keep checking counton2.com for real-time updates on this story. To get breaking news alerts, download the free News 2 App for iPhone or Android. You can also sign up for email alerts.