Judge sentenced Patrice Ann Winward for the murder of her girlfriend, Nicolle Carter, on August 17, 2021, in Salt Lake City

Today, a Third District Court judge sentenced Patrice Ann Winward for the murder of her girlfriend, Nicolle Carter, on August 17, 2021, in Salt Lake City.

 

The judge sentenced Ms. Winward to 15 years to life in prison for first-degree murder.

 

Ms. Winward and Ms. Carter were riding their bikes in the early morning when they got into a heated verbal argument. When Ms. Carter tried to get away from the situation, Ms. Winward fired a gun in her direction several times. One of the bullets hit Ms. Carter in the torso, killing her. Ms. Winward gave the gun she had used in the murder to a child to hide it in a storm drain. In addition, Ms. Winward lied to police when they arrived at the scene of the shooting, saying she had to leave to attend to a medical emergency at home. The gun was subsequently recovered, and Ms. Winward later admitted to lying to police about the reason for leaving the scene.

 

“Ms. Winward not only tried to avoid responsibility for this crime by giving her gun to someone else to hide but also by fleeing the scene shortly after police arrived. The sentence imposed helps ensure Ms. Winward is held accountable for the intentional, criminal act of violence that took Ms. Carter’s life. We mourn the death of Ms. Carter and hope that the resolution of this case will help her loved ones begin to heal,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “We would like to thank our lead prosecutors on this case Shane Cohen and Paul Fuller, as well as their support staff for their dedication to bringing justice for Ms. Carter. We would also like to acknowledge the exceptional work by our partners in the Salt Lake City Police Department.”