M Live
June 17, 2015
A woman who admitted to beating her friend to death with a slow cooker was sentenced Monday to 23 years in prison, according to The Associated Press.
Tewana Sullivan, 51, of Detroit, was visiting 66-year-old Cheryl Livy at her Livonia home October 22, 2014, when an argument over presidential politics became violent.
Sullivan pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder while mentally ill.
Wayne County Circuit Judge Michael Hathaway on Monday sentenced to Sullivan to at least 23 years in prison and ordered she undergo mental health treatment while in state custody, according to the AP.
Her lawyer had argued brain surgery conducted six years ago after an aneurysm may have played a role in her mental state the day of the crime, along with an extraordinarily high blood-alcohol level of .41, which is more than five times the legal limit for driving.
But, Sullivan was determined competent to stand trial after a court-ordered psychological examination.
Sullivan’s lawyer said the two women were arguing about the 2016 presidential race before Livy was killed, according to the AP.