Woman pleads guilty in boyfriend’s murder

An Oakland Township woman pleaded guilty to third degree murder in the July 29, 2020 shooting death of her boyfriend at the home the couple shared.

Lucy Pizarro entered the plea on March 19 in the Susquehanna County Court of Common Pleas. She is scheduled to be sentenced by President Judge Jason Legg on April 28.

Pizarro has been held without bail in the Susquehanna County Correctional Facility since her arrest immediately following the murder.

According to an affidavit filed by in District Court by Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Roger Riddell, Pizarro shot Terrence Whitmire in the back of the head in the bedroom of the Turnpike Street residence the couple shared.

Police responding to the scene discovered Whitmire, lying in the bed in a second-floor bedroom, with blood emanating from an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head. They also observed a silver pistol lying on the foot of the bed and an AR rifle lying along the side of the bed.

Prior to entering the home, police were met by Pizarro on the front porch of the home and holding a silver pistol, and she put it down when police ordered her to do so, according to the affidavit.

In her initial statements to police, Pizarro said she discovered Whitmire’s body in the bedroom when she returned after taking their dog outside. She told investigators she grabbed Whitmire’s gun from the nightstand and his cell phone and called 911 saying she felt that whoever shot Whitmire might still be in the house. She also told police that she believed her neighbors had bugged the home and were harassing them.

An autopsy, was performed by Dr. Gary Ross at Northeast Forensic Associates, on Thursday, July 30. Whitmire’s cause of death was ruled as being a single gunshot wound to the back of the head; with the manner of death likely a homicide, but noted that suicide could not be ruled out, according to the affidavit.

In further questioning from police, Pizarro told them that Whitmire had become possessive during their three-plus year relationship and the two argued on the night of the shooting.

Pizarro told police that she got out of the bed to retrieve the handgun on her nightstand and that she planned to sleep on the first floor of the home and wanted the pistol for protection, according to the affidavit.

She told police Whitmire was facing away from her as she walked around to his side of the bed with the gun in her hand as she attempted to leave the room and claimed Whitmire then grabbed her arm that was holding the gun but she was able to break free.

According to the affidavit, Pizarro then reported she stepped back and pulled the trigger and shot him once in the back of the head.