On Oct. 10, a 20-year-old North Carolina woman pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of her 50-year-old father and was sentenced for the murder and for concealing his death. She received a sentence of 25 years for the murder and a sentence of 5 to 7 years for attempting to hide his body.
The murder occurred in February 2014, and the woman was 17 years old when she shot her father in the head while he was taking a nap on the couch. She then got rid of both the gun and the couch and hid his body in a storage shed on the family property. According to the assistant district attorney, she told friends that her father had committed suicide. Then she allowed friends to move in with her while she drove her father’s car and used his money.
About a month after the murder, friends found the body in the shed. The woman was taken into custody the following day in Georgia where she was found with a U-Haul and her father’s car.
People who are facing charges for serious felonies like the woman in this case might want to work with an attorney to discuss their defense. In some cases, some evidence might circumstantially point to a person’s involvement even though the person is not guilty. The attorney might challenge lab results or other interpretations of evidence or question eyewitness accounts. An attorney might also look at how evidence was gathered and whether it was done legally. Some defendants might want to agree to a plea bargain if they are offered a shorter sentence in exchange for pleading guilty and avoiding a trial.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Teen Girl Killed Dad, Had Friends Move In For ‘Drug-Fueled Party,” David Moye, Oct. 12, 2016
