A Polk County jury convicted Cheryl Lynn Williams on multiple felony counts, including second-degree murder, for her role in the 2022 death of Deputy Blane Lane during a botched arrest.
A Florida woman is likely to spend decades behind bars after being found guilty of second-degree murder, even though she didn’t fire the shot that killed the deputy.
On Thursday, a Polk County jury convicted Cheryl Lynn Williams, 49, on all counts against her for her role in the 2022 death of Deputy Blane Lane.
The conviction stems from an incident in October 2022 when Deputy Lane, 21, was shot and killed by friendly fire while serving an arrest warrant on Williams in Polk City. Law enforcement had arrived at Williams’ residence at 3 a.m. to serve a warrant for her failure to appear in court on a drug charge.
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According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Williams was located inside the home by a four-person team. As three deputies entered the residence, Deputy Lane took a tactical position outside to prevent her from fleeing.
When Williams appeared near a gaming room, she was brandishing a silver handgun, which was later identified as a realistic-looking BB gun. A hail of gunfire from law enforcement followed, striking Williams at least twice. Tragically, a single bullet also struck Deputy Lane, entering his arm and traveling into his chest. He died later at the hospital.
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“This suspect’s outrageous criminal actions were the cause of my deputy being killed in the line of duty, and the jury appropriately found her guilty as charged,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd in a statement. “Her family can visit her in prison, but Blane’s family has to visit his grave in a cemetery and can only have a one-sided conversation with him.”
A sentencing date has not yet been set, but Williams faces the possibility of life in prison.
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