In the heart of Decatur, Illinois, a courtroom has brought closure to a tragic case that has lingered for two years. The last of three defendants involved in the murder of a pregnant woman has been sentenced, marking a significant turn in this harrowing saga. Mattavius Anderson, now 21, accepted a plea deal that culminated in a 15-year prison sentence.

This week, Anderson appeared in Macon County Court for what was expected to be the start of his trial. Initially, he had waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead for a bench trial scheduled for Tuesday. However, developments over the weekend altered this course. On October 16th, both the defense and prosecution informed Judge Thomas Griffith of a plea agreement, leading to the disposition hearing held on Monday.

Under the terms of the plea deal, all nine charges initially filed against Anderson, which included serious accusations such as murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm, were dismissed. Instead, he faced a new charge of residential burglary, to which he pleaded guilty. This strategic legal move concluded the judicial proceedings against him.

The case’s tragic roots trace back to a fatal incident on March 8, 2023. According to a sworn statement by the Decatur Police, a volatile dispute on social media platform Snapchat escalated into violence. This conflict involved Anderson, then 18 years old, alongside his younger brother Mattarion, and was directed against Janiah Thomas’s boyfriend and his sibling. The confrontation led to the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Janiah Thomas, who was pregnant at the time.