St. Louis woman sentenced for killing her girlfriend's best friend

ST. LOUIS - A 25-year-old St. Louis woman was sentenced on Thursday to seven years in prison for killing her girlfriend's friend during a fight.

According to the 22nd Judicial Circuit, Jazzmyn Watford, 25, was sentenced for manslaughter and domestic assault after fatally shooting Amora Brown, 25, on March 30 at an apartment on the 300 block of Arsenal Street in the Tower Grove East neighborhood.

The charges said Watford accused her girlfriend of cheating before attacking her. Watford had asked Brown to come to their apartment during the argument.

After the girlfriend collected some of her things, she met Brown outside. Brown noticed she was injured and walked to the apartment's front door to question Watford about the injuries.

During an argument with Watford, the front door's latch was broken, and Watford shot Brown.

In April, a grand jury indicted Watford on charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and second-degree domestic assault.

On Dec. 5, Watford pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and third-degree domestic assault in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

While in court on Thursday, Brown's relatives and boyfriend spoke of their grief, and Watford's ex-girlfriend described the attack in the apartment and seeing Brown shot.

"I watched my best friend die," the ex-girlfriend said according to a news release.

Watford apologized in court for killing Brown. "Things could have went differently that day," Watford said.

Watford was sentenced to seven years for a manslaughter charge and a concurrent four-year term for the domestic assault count.