A Pensacola teen charged with murdering her mother’s fiancé in 2023 was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in state prison.
Sunshine James was just 15 years old on Aug. 30, 2023, when shot Christopher Moore six times, causing wounds to his heart and lungs that were fatal. James pleaded pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, and was sentenced to four decades in prison Aug. 13 by Judge Amy Brodersen.
Despite pleas for mercy from James’ two grandmothers during the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Amy Shea informed the court that “Moore’s family expressed the desire for a life sentence” for the now-18-year-old. Moore’s family did not attend the sentencing.
Because James was a juvenile at the time of the crime, she will be eligible for a sentence review after 25 years, according to Florida law.
James, who walked into her parents bedroom before school with a gun, was arrested just hours after the shooting for killing Moore and attempting to kill her mother, Alexis Pineda. In a 911 call, Pineda said her daughter told both her and Moore that she loved them before opening fire.
Shortly after her arrest, James claimed that her mother was “choking her out” and believed she was going to die, leading to her grabbing the gun and firing multiple times. However, James’ attorney told the court that James had not suffered abuse from anyone within the household, and two mental health doctors testified during the sentencing that the teen fired the gun out of fear of her brother.
According to Drs. Greg Prichard and Stephen Zieman, James suffered from clinical depression that worsened after her older brother overdosed on drugs a few months before the shooting. The brother survived and moved back into the home, but he was allegedly kicked out by James’ mother and fiancé and told to return to home of the siblings’ biological father, whom they said was abusive.
Just a few weeks after her brother was kicked out, Zieman and Prichard said James’ depressive mental state and youth led to her decision to grab the firearm and shoot it eight times at Moore and Pineda.
Following the testimony of the doctors, James’ maternal grandmother Rose Abraham-Hampton spoke on behalf of her granddaughter and said the teen needed a way to remain in therapy for her depression.
“Sunshine has always been a great kid,” Abraham-Hampton told the judge. “I don’t know what that entails, but she deserves to be rehabilitated.”
Shetia Snowden, James’ paternal grandmother, told the judge to not “throw her away” so she can get help for her mental diagnosis and continue getting access to therapy.
“I hate to say it, but the babies have just been thrown away. Period,” Snowden said, speaking of James and her siblings. “Today, I want to ask that the court please don’t throw her away. Give her a fighting chance for herself.”
Just before Brodersen levied the 40-year sentence, the state announced they would drop James’ additional charge of attempted second-degree murder for allegedly trying to kill her mother during the volley that killed Moore.
Benjamin Johnson is the breaking news, crime and military reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He covers local law enforcement, courts, breaking news and military within Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. He can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: At 15, she killed her mom’s fiancé. Now she’s sentenced to 40 years.
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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By Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
