A Utah woman accused of murdering her friend in a botched suicide pact earlier this year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, authorities confirmed.
Heavenly Faith Garfield pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a second-degree felony, on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and will be sentenced on Nov. 6, Timothy L. Taylor, Deputy Utah County Attorney, said in an emailed statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Sept. 27. She faces up to 15 years in prison, per the statement.
Garfield was arrested in April and charged with murder and felony discharge of a firearm after the shooting death of her 21-year-old friend, who was identified by family on a GoFundMe campaign and obituary as Brooklyn Michelle Barrett.
On April 30, Garfield’s father called 911 to report the shooting, in which authorities said his daughter shot the victim in a Saratoga Springs, Utah, home, per an affidavit of probable cause cited by KUTV, the Associated Press and CBS News.
Officers who responded to the scene said the victim had a gunshot wound to the head and that her body had been covered with a blanket and there were flowers on a bed, Court TV reported.
Heavenly Faith Garfield.
courttv
“Investigators determined that Garfield and [her] friend had entered into a suicide pact and Garfield admitted to shooting [her] friend in the head,” Taylor said in the statement to PEOPLE. “After shooting [her] friend, Garfield did not go through with the suicide pact.”
According to the affidavit, the friends had reportedly been discussing the suicide pact for several weeks, family members said, the AP reported. The affidavit states a friend of the victim showed police text messages in which she said she wanted to die, but was too scared to kill herself. The friend also confirmed Garfield’s suicide pact with the victim to police, per the AP.
As part of her plea, Taylor said Garfield admitted to the following facts: “On or about April 30, 2024, in Utah County, Utah, I knew [friend] intended to end her life by suicide and I aided [friend] to commit suicide.”
Barrett was remembered on the GoFundMe campaign created to support her parents in the wake of her death as a “vibrant and promising young woman.”
“Her unexpected departure has left her loved ones grappling with the immense pain and burden, preferring to focus on honoring her memory and celebrating the beautiful life she lived,” the fundraiser continued.
According to her obituary, Barrett was a 2021 graduate of Herriman High School and worked at a daycare prior to her death. She also enjoyed traveling and spending time outdoors, the obituary states.
Taylor said the victim’s family “supported the resolution.”
