Home / Crime and Justice / Ex-Council Member Pleads Guilty in Young Woman's Death
Ex-Council Member Pleads Guilty in Young Woman's Death
15 Jan
Summary
- Former Bothell council member pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
- Victim's friend calls plea deal a failure of justice.
- Suspect faces 8-10 years in prison at sentencing.
A former Bothell City Council member, James McNeal Jr., has pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of 20-year-old Liliya Guyvoronsky. McNeal admitted to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault, domestic violence charges, nearly two years after Guyvoronsky was killed in her Seattle home.
Initially charged with second-degree murder, McNeal's plea to lesser charges has been met with disappointment by Guyvoronsky's close friend, Madison Darner. Darner expressed that the plea bargain results in a lighter sentence, which she finds "disgusting, but not surprising," and believes it fails to deliver true justice for her friend.
McNeal, who had an on-again, off-again relationship with Guyvoronsky, is scheduled for sentencing on February 6, where he faces a prison term of 8 to 10 years. Darner continues to advocate for domestic violence awareness, highlighting Guyvoronsky as a courageous victim silenced by violence.
