20-year-old Puyallup man pleads guilty to accidental shooting death of friend

A Puyallup man who killed his friend with what he believed to be an empty gun pleaded guilty Thursday in connection to her death.

Joshua Jeffrey Roberts faces up to 10 years, five months in prison for the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Sabrena Defreece.

However, the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office agreed to recommend just less than eight years as part of 20-year-old Roberts’ guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful gun possession.

His sentencing is scheduled July 21 in Superior Court.

“They were just children acting like children,” defense attorney John Crowley told the court about the day of the shooting, which happened Dec. 8 at Roberts’ home.

Crowley said the friends had been listening to music and dancing before the gun went off.

Roberts told police he picked up the gun, pointed it at Defreece’s head, and fired, thinking it was unloaded.

His mother was in another room of the home at the time, and was considered a witness in the case, which means she and Roberts haven’t been allowed to contact each other.

The court lifted that order after Roberts’ plea.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 1:28 PM with the headline "20-year-old Puyallup man pleads guilty to accidental shooting death of friend."