Fulton woman pleads guilty in boyfriend’s shooting death

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fulton woman pleaded guilty Friday to manslaughter in the 2019 shooting death of her boyfriend.

Kalesha M. Peterson was indicted by a grand jury in March 2019 on charges of first-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. She pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree involuntary manslaughter.

Peterson was accused of killing David Dalton, 36, by shooting him in the head. Peterson called police to report the shooting and told investigators she and Dalton had been drinking and watching a movie when the shooting happened, according to a probable cause statement. She told investigators that Dalton wanted to act out a scene from the movie with a gun, and the gun went off, the statement says.

Peterson told police she had been drinking whiskey and was acting out a scene from "Deadpool" with a loaded gun, Callaway County prosecutor Christopher Wilson said in a news release.

Dalton died from a gunshot wound to the head.

A judge sentenced Peterson to eight years in prison.

Peterson's attorney, Timothy Hunsaker, said his client is remorseful.

"We appreciate that the State was willing to keep an open mind and work to understand that what occurred here was a tragic accident," Hunsaker wrote in an emailed statement. "Ms. Peterson accepts responsibility for her actions on that day and hopes that the acceptance of this plea offer can give some closure to Mr. Dalton's family and friends. She is very sorry for what happened and will continue to mourn the loss of Mr. Dalton."

Peterson will get credit for time served while awaiting trial, Hunsaker said.