an inmate's handcuffed hands grabbing the rung of a prison door
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
June 28, 2022 ·  4 min read

Woman Sentenced After ‘Prank’ Killed Two Men In Lake At Birthday Party

Sometimes pranks can get deadly. And this woman from Georgia will attest to that. As such, she was prosecuted in Atlanta for involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. She will be spending an entire year in jail after her prank turned fatal for some individuals. The woman, Shontover Kirkland, had apparently rented a couple of boats on the 25th of April.

Kirkland moored the boats at Clarks Hills Lake- according to the WRDW report. She had a couple of friends with her on her boat- which included Edward Kirk and Eynn Wilson. As evidence, the prosecutors presented a video of the event. And according to an agent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the video showed Kirkland pushing Kirk into the water. Seeing Kirk flailing around, Wilson had to dive to save him. But unfortunately, none of them surfaced. 

Woman’s Prank Turns Fatal- 2 Dead

In order to solve the case of the prank, the GBI took the help of a whole bunch of institutions. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Region 3 Law Enforcement Division, Lincoln County EMA, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Toombs Judicial Circuit, and the Columbia County Fire Rescue all provided the evidence for the case. The sister of the diseased Kirk, Lakesha Johnson, stated, “In our opinion, justice wasn’t served by just a year for costing two people their lives.” Kirkland will be serving a single year of incarceration. Following that, she would be serving 9 years on probation. Wilson’s mother, Diane Wilson stated, “She took my baby. She took my grandkids’ father from them.” [1]

Shontover Kirkland (left), Eynn Wilson (center), and Edward Kirk (right). Image Credit: Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Shontover Kirkland (left), Eynn Wilson (center), and Edward Kirk (right). Image Credit: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

Bill Doupe, the District Attorney stated, “There were no plea agreements other than what charges Kirkland would plead to. Kirkland pled guilty to two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter based upon reckless conduct. Involuntary manslaughter is the unintended killing of another through the commission of a misdemeanor offense. In this case, we alleged reckless conduct was a misdemeanor offense. Kirkland was directly responsible for pushing Edward Kirk into the middle of a deep channel in 69-degree water not knowing whether he could swim or not.

The hearing of this prank turned tragic death had the prosecution playing multiple versions of videos posted on social media. The GBI mentioned that it was through these clips as well as a distress 911 call that allowed them to piece the puzzle together. It was alleged that on the day of the accident, the 32-year-old Kirkland have been renting two pontoon boats for the celebration of another friend. Reports also stated that the party had 18 participants. Multiple police reports went on to note that the two boats were parked as well as tied together. The agents also put out a video in the courtroom that captured the woman’s hand. The video further identified Kirland as the person who pushed both of them into the water. 

Read: Car Owner Who Left Jeep at Dealership Gets Sued After Worker Dies During Oil Change

Kirkland Takes Full Responsibility For It- But That’s Not Enough

The video further showcases how the woman in the life vest was absolutely fine. But Kirk was struggling to stay above water. This prompted Wilson to jump in trying to save him. But the water overcame Wilson as well, and both of the friends never surfaced. The people in the courtroom, the family of the deceased, all watched in muted horror as the video played on the screen. For a lot of them, this was the only time they saw that video. Local diving teams recovered their bodies a week later.

Speaking about the trauma, Johnson stated, “We had to relive this whole devastating incident all over again.” Kirkland, on her part, claimed full responsibility for the prank. She stated that she never meant to harm her friend- one she knew for 18 years. On social media, the video received a lot of coverage and comments. One user wrote, “Pushing people in a pool never sat right with me. A lot of people can’t swim.” Another person then commented, “Sometimes you gotta know when to stop playing.” 

After Kirkland received her sentence, there was a confrontation that took place outside the courtroom. The friends and family of the deceased veered off against the family and friends of Kirkland. As it stands, the situation did not calm down till the police arrived at the scene.

Keep Reading: 14-Year-Old Boy’s Harness Was Still Locked After Fatal Fall from Amusement Park Ride: Accident Report

Sources

  1. Woman Sentenced After ‘Prank’ Killed Two Men In Lake At Birthday Party.” Atlanta Blackstar. Nicole Duncan-Smith. June 24, 2022.
  2. Georgia woman sentenced to jail for prank pushing man into lake.” Kiro7. Lauren Silver. June 22, 2022.
  3. Woman pleads guilty in Clarks Hill double drowning case.” WRDW. June 21, 2022.