A San Antonio teenager, Adiah Namir Roberson, returned to a Bexar County courtroom today to learn her sentence for a July 2024 shooting at a Sonic Drive-In that killed 33-year-old manager Daniel Shrewsbury. Roberson, who was 17 at the time, pleaded no contest to murder and aggravated assault, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Under a plea agreement, she faces up to 40 years for murder and 20 years for aggravated assault, with the sentences running concurrently. The court entered guilty findings after her pleas, and the deal was filed in early January ahead of today’s sentencing.
San Antonio police say the shooting unfolded around 9:40 p.m. on July 7, 2024 at the Sonic in the 5500 block of Babcock Road after employees confronted a group for allegedly trying to use counterfeit bills, as reported by KSAT. Investigators say Shrewsbury walked outside to photograph the vehicle’s license plate, a man inside the car threatened to shoot him, and Roberson then got out and opened fire. Shrewsbury collapsed inside the restaurant and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Roberson was arrested in October 2024 at an apartment complex outside Dallas by U.S. Marshals after months on the run, FOX San Antonio reported. She was transported to Bexar County to face charges that included murder, forgery and aggravated assault, and during the manhunt she briefly appeared on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted list.
How the Dispute Escalated
Investigators say the conflict started when the group in the vehicle tried to pay with counterfeit bills and then grabbed money from a tip jar before driving away, according to KSAT. Prosecutors say it was Shrewsbury’s attempt to document the vehicle’s license plate that triggered the final encounter outside the Sonic.
Joshua Joseph, who was with Roberson that night, was arrested in August and initially faced a murder charge. That murder count was later dropped.
Legal Details
Roberson’s no-contest pleas to murder and aggravated assault resulted in formal guilty findings entered by a state District Court. The plea agreement outlines the maximum terms the judge could impose but leaves the exact sentence to the court’s discretion, and attorneys for both sides have not laid out specific sentencing requests in public filings available to reporters, as per San Antonio Express-News.
Local outlets carried live coverage of today’s hearing, and witness testimony could be heard before a final sentence is announced, FOX San Antonio reported. If the judge imposes the full terms spelled out in the plea, Roberson could spend decades behind bars; if the court opts for less time, the sentence will still reflect the gravity of a killing that began with a fight over fake bills. Shrewsbury’s family has previously said they want accountability as the legal process moves forward.
