A man who police say bought a gun hours earlier, then shot his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend in the back of the head, has been sentenced to serve 35 years in state prison.
Terrick Thorne had been charged with criminal homicide. He was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. The guilty plea presented by the D.A.'s office was approved by Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn.
The incident happened in May 2021 at East Lake Courts.
The victim was Kielonnie Stocks.
Police said the couple had been arguing earlier over tax return money.
Thorne was 20 at the time and lived on Highland Avenue.
He was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. That charge was dismissed.
Officers who were dispatched shortly before 5 a.m. to 2729 Sixth Avenue Court were first told that the woman had suffered an injury after falling and striking her head. She was found to have head trauma, facial swelling and bleeding from the nose.
She was taken by ambulance to Erlanger Hospital, where it was discovered she had been shot in the back of the head.
She was pronounced dead that afternoon.
Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and the father of their child, was brought in for questioning.
Police said he admitted shooting her, but said it was accidental.
It was found he had bought a .380 caliber firearm, and a .380 caliber shell casing was found at the shooting scene.
A search of Thorne's residence turned up the victim's cell phone, debit cards, IPad and Apple watch in the garage. A Glock .380 pistol was also located at the residence.
Police said Thorne was prohibited from possessing a gun due to a prior domestic assault conviction involving the murder victim.
The victim's family said the argument over the tax return had happened two weeks earlier.
Police in 2019 charged Thorne in an incident in which a man delivering pizza for Domino's said he was pistol whipped and knocked to the ground by three assailants.
Thorne, who was 18 at the time, was charged with aggravated robbery.
In that incident, the victim said he made a delivery to a residence on W. 40th Street. He said he was met by an individual who demanded money and hit him over the head with a gun. He said two more individuals joined in the attack and knocked him down.
They got two pizzas in addition to the $15. The trio tried unsuccessfully to take his car.
The victim was treated and cleared by Hamilton County EMS. He had several minor cuts to several parts of his body and an injury to the left side of his forehead.
Police said the delivery address was associated with Thorne. The delivery man picked him out of a photo lineup.