A Harlan woman has plead guilty to assisting after the murder of an Earling woman back in July of this year. According to Shelby County District Court records, 34-year-old Ashley Elizabeth McWilliams plead guilty to a class D felony, accessory after the fact, for aiding 33-year-old Winston Joseph Leal of Harlan when he allegedly shot and killed 32-year-old Theresa Kenkel of Earling on July 31 at her home. A sentencing hearing for McWilliams will be held on Nov. 17 at the Shelby County Courthouse. She faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and up to $7,500 in fines. Leal has pled not guilty to the first-degree murder charge, a class A felony, and faces a jury trial on Nov. 4. If convicted, a class A felony carries a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
