Now that the woman who killed Daniel Ford-Coates has been sentenced to prison, his mother has to figure out what’s next.
Shannon Richard didn’t want a jury trial for Olivia Babin, the woman who pulled the trigger. Richard didn’t want to go through the months in court and listen to how the defense lawyer would describe her son. No matter what someone’s life was like, they don’t deserve to be shot and killed, Richard said.
When Babin pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced Monday, it was a relief, Richard said.
Ford-Coates, 24, of Bangor was fatally shot April 2 at a house on Highland Avenue. Babin, 21, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after entering a guilty plea Monday. She will serve six years of probation and concurrent sentences for unrelated OUI and criminal mischief charges.
Now Richard has to find her new identity after spending 24 years of being “Daniel’s mom,” she said. Talking about her dead son can make people uncomfortable but Richard has no plans to stop and let the world forget about Ford-Coates. With the criminal case closed she said it’s up to her to make sure he’s remembered.
Richard and the family knew the important details about Ford-Coates’ death, so sitting through a jury trial was not something she wanted. There was also no guarantee of a conviction, and a judge could have sentenced Babin to the minimum of four years, instead of the 10 she received.
The plea agreement meant they knew what would happen, Richard said. However, it doesn’t make it any easier.
“How do I move on from this?” Richard said. “It’s not closure. It feels hollow and empty.”
Richard had a tight bond with her son. He grew up playing sports and she loved being the classic soccer mom. The two of them had countless inside jokes and knew each other’s facial expressions better than anyone else, she said.
He cared deeply about other people and those friends cared back, she said. A couple dozen friends and family members showed up to the sentencing to show their love for Ford-Coates.
Babin was indicted for negligent manslaughter May 29. She initially pleaded not guilty before changing her plea Monday.
Before the shooting, Babin allegedly put a gun up to Ford-Coates’ head and said, “Oh, you don’t think I will?” then laughed and pulled the trigger, the Maine attorney general’s office said previously. It had audio from a surveillance video because a window was open in the apartment where the shooting happened.
Babin was arrested April 3 and has been in the Penobscot County Jail since. She will be transferred to the custody of the Maine Department of Corrections.
