CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A family is one step closer to closure after a young man pleaded guilty in connection to the death of their loved one.
As part of a plea deal, Marquez Williamson pleaded guilty to attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon for his part in the July 2020 deadly shooting of 27-year-old Katie Eckard.
Eckard was shot and killed in her car during an armed robbery at a shopping center off of West Sugar Creek Road.
“It was just a day of disbelief," Eckard's stepmother Stephanie Clontz said.
The victim's family was face-to-face inside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse with the defendant and shared a unique message of support and forgiveness.
Williamson, who was 22 years old at the time of the shooting, was charged with murder along with two others.
Thursday, he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon as part of a plea deal.
“His family also has a loss today, ours has already taken place for two and a half years, ours is permanent -- but his begins today,” Eckard's aunt Lisa Clontz said.
While the family leads with grace, they say there's a great need to address violence in the community.
“Let's look at what some of the root causes of these violence crimes are, as a community and government and start addressing some of those issues,” Clontz said.
As the family continues to move forward, they say there are simple reminders that she's never forgotten.
“She loved life,” Lisa Clontz said.
“She’s looking upon us now and protecting us every step of the way,” Stephanie Clontz said.
Williamson was sentenced to 44 to 65 months in prison.
He received credit for 304 days for the time he's already spent in jail, about 10 months taken off his sentence.
As for the other two people involved in the shooting, Bricard Washington's charges remain pending as he pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The third person is no longer alive after being killed in Gaston County.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.