YORK Co., Va. – The woman accused of shooting and killing another woman in the parking lot of a Walmart in early 2018 will spend time in prison for the crime.
Appearing in York-Poquoson Circuit Court in September 2019, 34-year-old Cindy Bryant was found guilty of first-degree murder, abduction by force and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony – first offense.
Cindy Bryant
On November 14, 2019, Bryant was sentenced to 10 years with 10 years suspended and probation: indefinite supervision for her abduction by force charge; life with all but 32 years suspended for her first-degree murder charge; three years and probation: indefinite supervision for one count of her use of a firearm in the commission of a felony charge and five years with probation: indefinite supervision for the other firearm charge.
Investigators say Bryant shot and killed 37-year-old Jean Bryant in the store’s parking lot around 9:30 a.m. on February 15, 2018.
According to court documents obtained by News 3, Cindy told investigators she entered the Walmart located at 2601 George Washington Memorial Highway, purchased ammunition, went to a nearby McDonald’s, loaded the newly purchased ammunition in a handgun and went back to the store.
Once back at the store, the documents state she confronted Jean, who was her current wife, inside the Eye Center. Jean was an employee of the optometrist office that leases office space from Walmart, but she was not a Walmart employee.
They begin to argue briefly, then Cindy asked Jean to step outside so they could talk.
Jean reportedly refused.
At that point, the documents said, Cindy pulled the firearm from her pocket and demanded that Jean leave the store.
Once they got to the parking lot, the two women allegedly engaged in another argument. At this point, a bystander got involved and Jean took off running in the parking lot.
Cindy told investigators she ran after Jean and shot at her. Cindy, according to court documents, told investigators Jean tried running back into the store when she was struck and fell to the ground in the parking lot.
Authorities say this was an isolated incident between the two women, who were having a personal dispute.
Jean was rushed to the hospital but died a few hours later.
