An 18-year-old woman was sentenced to 40 years in prison Monday after she confessed to her role in a robbery turned murder.
Kayla Dixon pleaded guilty to the 2014 shooting death of Danny Zeitz the same day her trial was set to begin, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Zeitz met Dixon and her boyfriend Nathaniel Vivian outside an apartment complex after the couple responded to his PlayStation ad on Craigslist. Zeitz was a semi-professional gamer and was the subject of a documentary “Level Up” following his murder, Channel 2 reported.
Police said the couple originally intended to rob Zeitz, but Dixon pulled a gun from in between her legs and fired a bullet.
The bullet passed through Vivian’s hand before striking Zeitz and killing him. Dixon was 16 at the time of the shooting.
Dixon’s then 16-month-old baby was in the car at the time of the shooting.
Vivian and Dixon had been making plans to rob someone from planning how they'd do it to searching how to fake a text message, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
Dixon apologized for the murder in court, Channel 2 reported.
“I want Daniel’s family to know that I regret that day. I’m so sorry. I ask that God heals the hearts of Daniel’s loved ones,” she said. “I know I’m facing a long time away and I hope one day my apology will matter.”
Zeitz’s mom was hesitant to forgive until she heard Dixon’s apology.
“I thought her apology today was very heartfelt and I feel like she is truly sorry for what happened,” Patty Zeitz told Channel 2. “It’s just a crime that young people can get caught in these situations because of the examples they’d had in their lives.”
Vivian’s trial begins this summer. Dixon’s attorney told Channel 2 she is willing to testify against him.
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