Williams sentenced in shooting death

St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman has sentenced Maria Williams to a maximum of 35 years in prison for the 2014 shooting death of a 33-year-old Burr Oak-area man.
Stutesman on Tuesday issued the sentence, stemming from a March 2014 case involving Williams and Dennis Brooks.
Williams had been accused of shooting Brooks once in the head during an argument on Townline Road in Burr Oak Township.
Williams had accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder. In taking the deal, Williams avoided the chance of being convicted of first-degree murder, which could have brought a life sentence with no chance of parole.
St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough had recommended a sentence of 22 1/2 to 65 years. Williams will serve a minimum of 20 years.