In April 2021, two men drowned and died. Now, a Georgia woman has been given a year in prison in relation to their deaths.
This week, Shontover Kirkland, 32, pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and involuntarily manslaughter. This is after Eynn Wilson and Edward Kirk Jr. died, in Clark Hills Lake, in Lincoln County.
Authorities say that Kirkland rented two boats for a birthday party. She is said to have pushed Kirk into the water, unaware that he couldn’t swim. Wilson then went into the lake to attempt to save Kirk. Neither men resurfaced, and their bodies were found a week after that.
In 2021, an arrest warrant noted that Kirkland “unlawfully endangered the bodily safety of Edward Lee Kirk, Jr….” It added that her “disregard constituted a gross deviation from the standard care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation.”
In court, Kirkland apologized for the occurrence as she has known Kirk since she was 14. She said that she didn’t intend to cause him any harm but wanted to take responsibility for her actions.
Outside of the courtroom, police had to intervene as an argument ensued between friends and relatives of Kirkland and the victims.
Along with one year in prison, Kirkland will be on probation for nine years.
