On Thursday morning, a Peoria woman, TNashia Wash, aged 20, entered a guilty plea for the first-degree murder of her boyfriend, Roderick Richardson, in an event dating back to October 2023. According to Central Illinois Proud, Wash's potential prison term has been capped at 35 years, a reduction from the maximum 60 years she faced without such an agreement. The plea effectively nullifies her upcoming jury trial, which was scheduled for next week.
As reported by Central Illinois Proud, having claimed Wash felt threatened by him, prosecutors recounted that during an altercation with Richardson, he purportedly threatened to shoot both her and himself. In a struggle over Richardson's gun, he reportedly grabbed her cell phone, Wash managed to take control. She fired at him as he advanced towards her, an action which concluded with Richardson's death from multiple gunshot wounds, not at close range, including two to the front of his body and four to his back.
As per 25 News Now, the fatal incident unfolded inside a home on the 1200 block of North Ellis Street, where the lifeless body of Richardson, aged 30, was found lying face down. Preceding the tragic event, the pair had been arguing about their relationship, which had escalated to a physical fight.
Wash, who remains detained at the Peoria County Jail, told authorities she and her child had been staying with Richardson when the fatal dispute occurred. An autopsy report corroborated her account of firing the shots from a distance. As scheduled, Wash's sentencing is slated for 2 p.m. on July 31, as detailed by Central Illinois Proud.
