2 women plead guilty to the murder of O'Reilly Auto Parts store manager in Detroit

Two women have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of an auto parts store manager in Detroit. Eboni Monae McEwen-Ross, 28, and Shawnta Sharee Anderson, 23, were charged in connection with the death of James Haller, a Vietnam War veteran and retired assembly line worker at General Motors. Haller was working at the O'Reilly Auto Parts store on Schaefer Highway when the shooting occurred on Nov. 1, 2017. Surveillance video showed two women walking into the store, announcing a robbery, and pointing a gun at the cashiers. Haller went to aid the employees, but Anderson fatally shot him. Anderson then fled from the scene in an SUV. McEwen-Ross was arraigned on Nov. 19, 2017, after waiting two weeks to surrender to law enforcement. She was charged with felony murder and two counts of armed robbery. Anderson was taken into custody on Nov. 6, 2017, and faces charges including felony murder, two counts of armed robbery, and three counts of felony firearm. Leviticus Butler, 38, of Detroit, was charged with accessory after the fact to a felony after he was taken into custody with Anderson. He was accused of helping her escape the police. Butler pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to a felony on Jan. 12 and was sentenced to probation.

Haller's wife, Patricia Haller, spoke at the sentencing hearing, pleading with the judge to send Butler to prison. However, Judge Gregory Bill told her that the advisory guidelines indicated that Butler should receive two and a half years of probation and that if he violated the terms of his probation, he would be sent to prison for over a year.

In a statement, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy called Haller "a valued ex-Marine, employee, police reservist, husband, and father," and vowed to "vigorously prosecute this case and do our very best to bring justice to Mr. Haller and his family."