Nevada woman sentenced for killing she blamed on spirits

LAS VEGAS – A Nevada woman who said she shot a gun at spirits who attacked her roommate was sentenced to prison for the man’s fatal shooting.

Kiahna Hawkins, 30, was sentenced to 11 to 28 years in a Nevada prison, KVVU-TV reported Wednesday.

Hawkins was evaluated and found competent to stand trial in June before she pleaded guilty to a charge of murder and entered a plea agreement.

Andre D. Smith, 49, was found dead May 3 in the North Las Vegas apartment he shared with Hawkins.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office found Smith died of a gunshot wound to the head and ruled the death a homicide.

North Las Vegas police were called to the apartment at 11:30 a.m. after Hawkins told emergency dispatchers she believed spirits had killed her roommate, a police report said.

Hawkins told police spirits appeared in the room with Smith, including one that came out of his body. She compared the experience to being “in a virtual reality video game.”

Hawkins told officers she shot a spirit in self defence, the report said.