Woman pleads guilty to murder of woman found at home with her husband

UPDATE:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A wife accused of killing another woman she found in their home with her husband will spend at least five years in prison.

A judge sentenced Stephanie Alexander to 60 to 84 months in prison after she pleaded guilty Thursday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Tyra Crosby.

Alexander was originally charged with second-degree murder in the shooting last July on Porter Street in Charlotte.

ORIGINAL STORY (PUBLISHED 11/26/24):

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 53-year-old woman accused of killing a 25-year-old girl is due in court next week. Stephanie Alexander faces second-degree murder in the death of 25-year-old Tyra Crosby.

For Tonya Hoskins, Crosby’s mother’s holiday season is a bitter reminder of loss.

“I get sadder and sadder knowing I won’t be able to experience Thanksgiving or Christmas with her,” Hoskins said.

Crosby was shot at a home on Porter Street around 5 a.m. on July 18, 2023.

“She killed my baby in cold blood. She killed them at 4 a.m. and was out again at 8 p.m., which means human life has no value,” Hoskins said.

According to investigators, 53-year-old Stephanie Alexander called 911 and said she had killed Crosby.

“I came home and saw a woman in my house. I pulled out my gun and fired, but she didn’t move,” Alexander said in the July 18 911 call.

Alexander is now charged with second-degree murder, with the trial scheduled to begin on December 5th. Her charge was upgraded to murder after Crosby turned over a recording of what she said was her daughter’s final moments.

“The hardest thing is looking at him and her. It’s about actually seeing the murderer walk into a courtroom where you can be free,” Hoskins said.

Hoskins said surveillance video shows Crosby at an arcade on North Tryon Street with Alexander’s husband hours before her death. Hoskins believes her daughter was lured to the home on Porter Street.

“I think Tyra was very innocent in this situation,” Hoskins said. “The GPS on her phone in her car shows she was only in the apartment once.”

Hoskins hopes justice is on the way, but she fears Alexander’s clean criminal record could mean a lighter sentence.

“I don’t think justice will be served. I know she will grant a plea if she is in her right mind. This appeal may not give her much time,” Hoskins said.

Alexander’s trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on December 5th. The WCCB reached out to the prosecutor’s office to see if a plea was filed in the case, but a spokesperson said it violates ethics rules to discuss open cases.