An Illinois woman who killed her boyfriend during a heated argument has been sentenced to 31 years in prison.
The Shooting
According to the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office, Tnashia Wash, now 20, shot and killed her boyfriend, 30-year-old Roderick Richardson, on Oct. 16, 2023, at his home. Wash, who was a teenager at the time, admitted to police that she fired the shots but initially claimed it was done in self-defense.
Wash said she and her child had been living with Richardson when an argument broke out over their relationship. She alleged Richardson threatened to shoot her and her child, so she took his gun and fired six shots when he “charged” at her.
Autopsy Findings Contradicted Her Story
An autopsy later revealed that four of the bullets struck Richardson in the back and were not fired at close range, which prosecutors said directly undermined Wash’s self-defense claim.
The coroner’s findings showed that Richardson’s wounds were inconsistent with Wash’s version of events, leading prosecutors to argue that the shooting was intentional rather than defensive.
Plea and Sentencing
Wash pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in June 2024, just days before her trial was set to begin. Because she was under 21 at the time of the crime, Chief Judge Katherine Gorman took her age into account during sentencing.
On Friday, she was handed a 31-year prison sentence, with eligibility for parole after serving 20 years.
Family’s Grief
During sentencing, a letter from Richardson’s mother was read aloud in court. In it, she described the “unimaginable pain” of losing her son, writing that Wash had not only taken his life but also “shattered their family and left a permanent hole that can never be repaired.”
The tragic case underscores how a violent argument escalated into a deadly shooting, leaving behind a grieving family and sending a young woman to prison for decades. Wash will serve the majority of her adult life behind bars before becoming eligible for parole.
