HOPEWELL, Va. The Hopewell man charged with killing Richmond firefighter Ashley Berry in 2019 took a surprise plea deal on Wednesday, nearly seven years after her murder.
Berry was shot and killed on Thanksgiving night 2019 in front of a home along the Sunnyside Avenue of Hopewell. She was 33 years old.
Berry, a lieutenant with the Richmond Fire Department, was leaving the home with one of her children after celebrating Thanksgiving with friends and family. She was shielding her 5-year-old son with her body when she was shot, according to witnesses.
Police said Berry was not the intended target.
Darrell Taylor, 33, took an Alford plea in Berry's murder, meaning he did not plead guilty, but admitted there was enough evidence to convict him.
Taylor was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
After Taylor's arrest in 2023, CBS 6 spoke to Berry's friends and family, who said they hoped to carry on her legacy.
"We continue to show love to the community, because that's what she did. We continue to be a support system for everybody that's helping raise her kids and everybody has suffered this loss," said Chenice Brown, a friend of Berry. "Ashley actually created a women's group called 'Ladies of Diversity' and that group was created with intention to share love and support to women. We'll continue to work in that way."
