LANCASTER – A Lancaster County woman pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony count of voluntary manslaughter regarding the fatal shooting of a man in West Hempfield Township. 36-year-old Cherelle Byrd of Mountville accepted guilt that she fatally shot Richard Williams intentionally with a 9mm pistol under the belief that circumstances would justify the killing even though that belief was unreasonable. On April 16, 2021, officers arrived at a residence in the 400 block of Hillside Drive in Mountville around 9:55 p.m. Upon arrival, an officer found Williams deceased as Byrd knelt on the ground with her hands in the air saying “I shot him.” Byrd told authorities she shot Williams after a domestic dispute turned physical. Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn will order sentence at a time and date to be determined. Byrd faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison with sentencing guidelines in the 4 ½ to 6-year range.
CHERELLE BYRD