A South Carolina man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to the cold-blooded murder of his ex-girlfriend—an attack that played out in front of her 6-year-old son as she tried to take him to school.
John Patrick Shea, 29, confessed in court this week to killing 25-year-old Jillian Angner in March 2023 after months of stalking and threats following their breakup. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Angner’s son, who miraculously escaped the shooting by crawling out of the car and hiding in a marsh.
According to prosecutors, Shea ambushed Angner outside her home on the morning of March 2, firing multiple rounds into her Jeep Cherokee as she was packing up her son for school. She suffered a critical gunshot wound to the neck and was placed on life support—never regaining consciousness before dying months later on August 5.
Shea admitted to planning the attack. That morning, he convinced a friend to drive him to Angner’s home under the false pretense of a “drug run.” The friend had no idea Shea was preparing to carry out a murder.
Court documents reveal that Angner had filed multiple complaints in the months leading up to her death, reporting that Shea had stalked her and broken into her home after their October 2022 breakup.
When investigators later searched Shea’s apartment, they uncovered disturbing evidence: defaced photos of Angner, a voodoo doll, satanic texts, tarot cards, a makeshift shrine, and notes about past relationships dating back to 2008. A letter from Shea’s mother even warned authorities that her son had threatened his own brother.
He was arrested just days after the shooting as he prepared to flee. Police found him with suitcases, a passport, and his birth certificate in hand.
Shea’s trial began last Tuesday with emotional testimony from seven witnesses. But before proceedings could continue the next day, he changed his plea to guilty—without any deal from the prosecution. He stood before the judge, crying and apologizing to Angner’s family.
“I can’t take this pain in my heart anymore,” he said. “I’m sorry, from the deepest reaches of my soul, for what has happened here. I made a mistake.”
He begged for a life sentence—and got it. Shea was sentenced to life in prison for Angner’s murder, plus the maximum penalties for three additional felony charges.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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