Defense attorney Clifford Strike, left, stands with Chanda Lilly during her sentencing Thursday at Sagadahoc County Superior Court in Bath. Lilly was arrested in connection with a 2019 murder in Richmond. She pleaded guilty to robbery Thursday and was sentenced to 18 years in prison with all but four years suspended. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

BATH — Chanda Lilly, who was arrested three years ago in connection with the murder of a Richmond man, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of robbery.

Lilly, 33, was sentenced to 18 years in prison with all but four years suspended on the felony charge and four years of probation.

The guilty plea, part of a deal struck with state prosecutors, also requires Lilly to testify against Tyon K. Shuron, who has been charged with murder in the death of Andrew Sherman in what has become the state’s longest pending homicide case.

Under the deal, the felony murder charge against Lilly was dropped and she agreed to waive indictment on the robbery charge.

The body of Sherman, who was 48 at the time of death, was discovered in his Kimball Street home on Oct. 11, 2020, by a friend who had stopped by because he was concerned that Sherman hadn’t been seen for several days.

Eleven days later, Sherman’s death was determined to be a homicide and officials said he was likely killed around Sept. 29, nearly two weeks before he was found.

Several of Sherman’s family members and friends were among those to watch Thursday’s hearing in Sagadahoc County Superior Court in Bath and spoke out before Lilly’s sentence was announced.

Ruth Sherman, Sherman’s mother, provided a statement that was read by Brian Hughes, a victims advocate in the Attorney General’s Office, to read to Lilly.

“No matter the punishment she receives, it will never bring him back or compare to the pain and torture that I have been through — the sleepless nights, the horrible visions and nightmares of him being shot,” she wrote. “The hugs, the smiles — that grin, always what I needed to hear, gone.”

Kerri Faldareau, one of Sherman’s friends, credited him with saving her life when she tried to end it.

BATH, ME – MARCH 23: Maxine Whiteside reads a victim impact statement during Chanda LillyÕs sentencing hearing Thursday March 23, 2023 in Sagadhoc County Superior Court in Bath. (Staff photo by Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“The one person who made my life worth living is gone, taken from us,” Faldareau said. “He taught me to see the world through his eyes. When you love someone and they become sick or they’re old and they die, you realize that’s life and you grieve and you understand it. But when someone you love has their life taken and ripped away from you, the grief is crippling. The heartache is shattering, and you never come back from that the same.”

Before announcing Lilly’s sentence, Justice Daniel Billings said Faldareau’s comment stood out to him. He was also struck in the recounting of the evidence and facts that led to Sherman’s death at how many times different choices could have been made to avoid the fatal confrontation.

“People who observe our process may likely come away from it believing that justice under the law may not be justice in fact, from your own perspective, and I respect that,” he said. “But in my position as a judge and looking at the facts objectively and through a legal analysis, I believe the agreement that has been presented is reasonable and just and consistent with our process.”

He also noted that if Lilly had not agreed to the deal, she would not be able to testify against Shuron when he goes to trial, which is expected to be later this year.

Before Lilly was sentenced, prosecutor Meg Elam, an assistant attorney general, summarized the evidence prosecutors would have presented had Lilly gone to trial on the felony murder charge, including details of the confrontation that led to Sherman’s death.

Interviews and information collected showed Sherman and Lilly had met via an online platform called Model Mayhem that connects photographers and models. Lilly signed a contract with Sherman for photos that were to be part of Sherman’s personal collection, and took part in photo shoots at both his home and hers.

The evidence also showed that Shuron objected to the photo shoots. On Sept. 25, 2019, Elam said, Shuron interrupted a photo shoot at Lilly’s home and Lilly and Shuron argued on the front porch.

“Ms. Lilly admitted to detectives that she was present when Tyon Shuron shot and killed Andrew Sherman,” Elam said.

Superior Court Justice Daniel Billings speaks during Chanda Lilly’s sentencing Thursday at Sagadahoc County Superior Court in Bath. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Elam said according to Lilly’s statement, Shuron was listening in on a phone conversation when she asked for photographs and videos of her to be returned. Shuron became upset when Sherman told her she could buy them back, but according to the contract they had, he would not give them back.

Hours later, Shuron and Lilly drove to Sherman’s house, where Shuron gave her shoes and “a garment” to put on over her clothing and gloves. Shuron likewise wore gloves and “a garment.”

Lilly’s statement detailed how they entered Sherman’s Kimball Street home and found him lying on his bed. Shuron demanded Lilly’s photographs, while Sherman was yelling at them to get out. She said Shuron shot Sherman in the arm, and yelled at Lilly to get Sherman off the bed. She stood him up against the wall, and Shuron shot him in the forehead.

Then, according to Lilly’s statement, Shuron collected one spent bullet and both casings, Lilly grabbed “a bag of stuff” and they left, removing their garments and putting them in trash bags. She said Shuron put what sounded like equipment in the back of his vehicle and he drove her home.

At a February hearing, Billings denied bail to Shuron, who has been in custody since his arrest three years ago.

Lilly was arrested on a charge of felony murder March 10, 2022, in Augusta by Maine State Police. In Maine, a person is guilty of felony murder if the commission of a felony-level offense — murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, arson, gross sexual assault or escape — that results in the death of another person.

Her arrest came a little more than a month after Shuron’s arrest.

At her initial appearance the following day in Superior Court, it was announced that she would undergo forensic examination for competency and criminal responsibility.

The results of that testing, along with other documents, have been impounded, meaning that only certain people can see them.

According to the court documents that are available, however, Lilly has been at the Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center in Bangor for nearly a year.

Lilly will be given credit for time already served. She has been in custody since her arrest.