Woman gets 15 years for stabbing soldier to death

<p>A woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of a Fort Gordon soldier.</p><p>Jennifer Shields, 24, was initially charged with murder in the death of Sgt. 1st Class Eduard Fico, whose body was found behind a garage Dec. 7.</p><p>But she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge Friday. In addition to the 15-year sentence, Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet also sentenced Shields to five years of probation.</p><p>A psychologist told the judge Shields suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, caused by years of abuse at the hands of family members, a neighbor, husband and men she encountered since running away from home at age 14. The woman has been hospitalized three times after suicide attempts and had used a knife twice before to stop attacks by her brother and her husband, said Martha Loring, a domestic violence expert.</p><p>On Dec. 6, Shields and her boyfriend, Steven McFadden, 22, met Fico at an Augusta club and then went to several bars together, defense attorney Peter Johnson said.</p><p>Fico became lewd and Shields tried to put him out of her car, Johnson said. A struggle ensued and Shields stabbed him once in the chest.</p><p>McFadden pleaded guilty in September to concealing a death and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. McFadden admitted helping Shields burn Fico's wallet and identification after the stabbing.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x28655e0)</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/11/156918