NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A woman charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Norfolk 17-year-old has been sentenced to life in prison.

Crystal Albritton received the sentence on Friday morning after pleading guilty in the case, WAVY’s Brett Hall reports.

During the sentencing, Judge Gary Mills said that he’s seen a lot of bad cases in the last six months, “but this is the worst.”

Albritton was one of three people charged in the death of 17-year-old Asia Cowell back in 2020. Cowell was found dead in the woods of Newport News just days after her family reported her missing.

Asia Cowell

In court, prosecutors shared that Cowell was abducted at a house in Norfolk, where she thought she going to do hair. She was driven to the woods in the Fort Eustis area of Newport News, where she was shot and killed.

Cases against the two other codefendants, Devin Aris Albritton and a woman who was a juvenile at the time of Cowell’s death, are still pending.

This is a breaking article. Look for more from WAVY’s Brett Hall coming up.