VIRGINIA BEACH — A woman pleaded guilty Monday to her part in moving a man’s body while she was high on cocaine and Xanax after he was shot to death in her Virginia Beach apartment in January.
Mekera Washington, 23, pleaded guilty to accessory to homicide on Monday. She was sentenced to five years in prison with three years suspended, according to a news release from the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney.
The charges stem from the Jan. 17 shooting death of Kirshem Sanders in Washington’s Virginia Beach Apartment.
According to the news release, Sanders and a man named Jordan Copeland were at Washington’s house to make a drug deal involving cocaine. Washington’s boyfriend, Rashadee Jones, was also at the apartment.
At some point, a fight broke out in the apartment and Sanders was shot five times. The remaining group got into a car and went to Jones’ home in Portsmouth to ask his stepdad how they should handle the situation while Sanders’ body remained in Washington’s apartment, according to the news release.
Copeland and Washington got into a car together while Jones and his stepdad got into another car. The group went to 7-Eleven and then various places in Portsmouth to find a place to dump the gun, the news release states.
Eventually, Washington, Jones and Copeland went back to the Virginia Beach apartment. They cleaned it, wrapped Sanders’ body in a sheet and put it into Washington’s car, according to the news release.
Later, they took Sanders’ body to a field in Portsmouth and dumped it before going back to Washington’s apartment.
When Washington was initially interviewed by police on Jan. 31, she said that Copeland shot Sanders; however, Feb. 14 she recanted her statement and said that it was Jones.
The murder charge against Copeland was nolle prossed, and he was instead charged with accessory to homicide after the fact. He pleaded guilty to that charge on May 24 and was sentenced to five years in prison with four suspended.
Jones was also charged with accessory to homicide after the fact. He also pleaded guilty on May 24 and was sentenced to five years in prison with one year suspended.
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