A 21-year-old Tennessee man, Shawn Tyler Willis, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for killing his mother, Sandy K. Willis, in April 2020. The killing occurred after Willis became “upset” when his mother took away his cellphone.
Crime Details and Confession
On April 20, 2020, a then-16-year-old Willis shot his mother in her sleep with her own gun while she rested in bed. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department discovered Sandy’s body at their home on Andys Ridge Road in Rocky Top, Tennessee, about 26 miles from Knoxville. Authorities reported that Sandy was shot at close range on the left side of her head.
Willis initially told his girlfriend that he found his mother’s lifeless body and called law enforcement. However, during the investigation, police noted that Willis gave conflicting accounts of the events. A month later, Willis confessed to the murder during an interview with Detective Don Scuglia. According to the confession, Willis took his mother’s pistol from her nightstand, concealed the noise of loading it, and shot her twice as she slept.
Motive Behind the Murder
Investigators found that the motive for the murder stemmed from a dispute between Willis and his mother. After Sandy had taken away his cellphone, an act that left him “upset,” Willis decided to kill her. He shot her twice after she came home from working a late shift.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Willis, who was 16 years old at the time of the murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and the prosecutors reduced the charge from first-degree murder. District Attorney General Dave Clark confirmed that Willis will serve 100% of his 30-year sentence in state prison. Clark also expressed relief that the case had been resolved, acknowledging the grief of Sandy’s family, who were present during the sentencing and expressed satisfaction with the verdict.
This tragic case highlights the devastating consequences of a seemingly minor conflict escalating into an act of horrific violence.
