Man accused of killing woman, injuring her daughter in Lawrence County pleads guilty, mentally ill

ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. — A man accused of shooting and killing a woman and injuring her daughter pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Thursday.

According to court documents, Keegan Tyler Willis-King, 25, of New Mexico, pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree and aggravated assault.

Willis-King was sentenced to 15-30 years of confinement for the murder charge and 5-10 years for the aggravated assault charge.

Investigators said he shot Cassidy Smith, his girlfriend at the time, and killed her 42-year-old mother, Krista Knechtel, in an apartment on First Street in Ellwood City in January 2023.

Police said he surrendered himself about ten minutes later.

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