Akron woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in boyfriend's shooting death
An Akron woman pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Friday in the shooting death of her boyfriend last January.
Princess Fitzgerald had been scheduled to go on trial for murder Monday in Summit County Common Pleas Court.
Fitzgerald, 35, instead accepted a plea deal that allowed her to avoid a potential life sentence.
Judge Tammy O’Brien will sentence Fitzgerald on March 23.
“We’re pleased that the state took the time to analyze this case in depth and we’re further thrilled that we were able to come to a resolution,” said Jeff Laybourne, Fitzgerald’s attorney.
Fitzgerald was arrested in the shooting death of Lacey Claxton, her on-again/off-again boyfriend with whom she had a volatile relationship and a child in common.
Claxton, 47, was found unresponsive Jan. 30, 2021, with a gunshot wound in the 800 block of West Thornton Street in Akron’s University Park neighborhood. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said detectives quickly gathered information that identified Fitzgerald as a person of interest. Detectives also found that Claxton’s car was stolen and issued a warrant.
More:Woman accused of shooting man in Akron has been arrested
The U.S. Marshal Service arrested Fitzgerald at few days later in Columbus. She was returned to Akron and booked into the Summit County Jail.
Claxton’s car was found, police said.
Fitzgerald pleads guilty to manslaughter and other charges
Fitzgerald pleaded guilty during a video hearing Friday morning to voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, with a three-year gun specification; and tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability, both third-degree felonies. The weapons charge means a person was prohibited from having a gun because of a prior conviction.
Fitzgerald also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of having weapons under disability and a probation violation.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other charges against Fitzgerald, which included felonious assault and domestic violence.
Fitzgerald faces 11 to 16½ years for the manslaughter charge, three years on the gun specification and possibly additional time on the other charges. With no agreed-upon penalty, the attorneys will be free to suggest what they see as the appropriate sentence.
O’Brien ordered a pre-sentence investigation by the probation department of Fitzgerald’s background and a victim-impact statement.
Had the case gone to trial, Laybourne planned to argue this was self-defense.
“We felt strongly about the validity of the claim,” Laybourne said. “In an effort to mitigate the risk, she accepted a plea to the reduced charge.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron woman pleads guilty to manslaughter in shooting of boyfriend
