Woman charge dA woman charged with killing the director of Wisconsin Public Media in a 2021 crash was sentenced on Friday.
According to court documents, Shawnicia Youmas will serve two and a half years in prison and four years of extended supervision.
Youmas was charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle following the July 2021 crash that killed WPM Director Gene Purcell. A criminal complaint alleges that Youmas’ vehicle collided with Purcell’s motorcycle near the Wisconsin Public Broadcasting headquarters in Madison.
A witness claimed to have seen Youmas run a stop sign prior to the collision, according to the complaint submitted in the case. According to crash data, Youmas’ car was moving as fast as 64.9 mph just 1.5 seconds before the collision.
In January 2022, Youmas entered a not guilty plea during the arraignment. Trial dates were originally planned for February 2023, but many months before to the start of the proceedings, Youmas’s lawyer withdrew from the case. September 2023 was chosen as the new trial date, and a new attorney was assigned.
Youmas made a not guilty by reason of insanity plea in August 2023. During a court hearing in February 2024, she was found guilty.
She is required to receive recommended mental health examination and therapy, and she is not permitted to have any contact with Purcell’s family as a condition of her extended supervision.