LANCASTER – A Lancaster County woman who previously pleaded guilty to one county of voluntary manslaughter was sentenced to 50 to 120 months in prison by a Lancaster County judge. 36-year-old Cherrelle Byrd of Mountville accepted guilt in June that she shot her ex-husband, Richard Williams intentionally and knowingly under the belief that circumstances would justify the killing even though that belief was unreasonable. On April 16, 2021, West Hempfield Township Police arrived at a home in the 400 block of Hillside Drive in Mountville around 9:55 p.m. An officer found the deceased victim as Byrd knelt on the ground with her hands in the air and telling the officer she shot him. During a police interview, Byrd said she and Williams were in a verbal argument regarding finances when she went upstairs to get her pistol soon after the domestic dispute turned physical. Byrd fired one round as Williams approached her. Defense attorneys stated the incident was tragic and occurred due to years of domestic violence before asking for a mitigated sentence, which the judge granted. Byrd faced a maximum of 20 years in jail and the standard guidelines called for a sentence in the 4 ½ to 6-year range.
CHERRELLE BYRD