A Hampton woman has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting her estranged wife to death in the parking lot outside a Walmart in Tabb area of York County.
Cindy Bryant, 36, will remain on probation for life after she completes the prison sentence handed down to her on Thursday by York Circuit Court Judge Richard Rizk.
The judge told Bryant she was “on the hunt” on the morning in February 2018 when she shot and killed 37-year-old Jean Bryant near an entrance to the Walmart.
Cindy Bryant was charged with first-degree murder and gun charges. She pleaded guilty in September.
Jean Bryant was working in an optometrist office in the Walmart – which is in leased space and not a Walmart business – that morning when Cindy Bryant entered the store, displayed a gun, and told her to come outside to talk, the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office said last year.
“She produced a gun, said let’s go outside to the parking lot to discuss this further. When they got out to the parking lot, things didn’t improve, they got worse,” Sheriff J.D. “Danny” Diggs said during a news conference following Cindy Bryant’s arrest last year.
Authorities said Cindy Bryant shot Jean Bryant multiple times in the abdomen.
A York County deputy had just pulled into the parking lot on routine patrol when the shooting happened and was able to quickly take Cindy Bryant into custody.
Another deputy who arrived on scene started performing CPR on Jean Bryant while waiting for medics to arrive.
Jean Bryant was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News where she died shortly thereafter.
