Wilmington man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A man who fatally shot a woman last year pleaded guilty in court Tuesday. 

22-year-old Triston Spencer pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in New Hanover County Court. Last year, Spencer was charged in the death of 20-year-old Skylar Pattillo. 

It was revealed in court that on the night of September 26, 2024, Spencer was dancing with Pattillo and other friends while holding a loaded handgun. 

Spencer thought the gun was empty, but when he pulled the trigger, a live round fired—shooting Pattillo in the back of the head. 

Pattillo later was pronounced dead at the hospital. 

The judge sentenced spencer to serve between 16 to 29 months in prison. The court also imposed 36 months’ probation. 

Several family members of Pattillo spoke during the proceedings, including her father. 

“Talking with my baby now consists of speaking to the air at the sight of certain signs in the sky, or sunsets, or butterflies flying in my shop. These were some of her favorite things to see . . . There are not enough words in my simple man vocabulary to fully convey what this loss has meant to us,” Pattillo’s father said of his daughter’s death. “