Keona Hampton, 23, received a 30-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to murdering a woman who confronted her over bad manners at a Dallas-area store.
Hampton admitted guilt on Sept. 23 and was sentenced the same day by Judge Tammy Kemp, who approved the plea deal. The defendant will receive 303 days of credit toward her sentence for time served since her arrest last year.
The fatal chain of events began Oct. 7, at a Five Below in Dallas, where Cecilia Simpson held the door open for Hampton. Simpson took issue when Hampton failed to thank her for the gesture, and the confrontation escalated from a manners dispute into a deadly pursuit across multiple locations.
Hampton followed Simpson and her daughter from the discount store to a PetSmart in the same shopping plaza, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Simpson alerted a PetSmart employee that Hampton was trailing her before Hampton entered the store and renewed the argument.
The conflict spilled outside after an employee ejected the trio. As Simpson and her daughter drove away, Hampton threw a bottle at their vehicle, then got out to confront them yet again. The two women began physically fighting while Simpson’s daughter attempted to intervene. Hampton drew a firearm and shot Simpson three times.
Hampton fled the scene. Simpson was transported to a hospital, where she died.
Police located and arrested Hampton later that day during a traffic stop. The 23-year-old spent more than 10 months in custody before entering her guilty plea.