Man Pleads Guilty To Downtown Phoenixville Murder

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — The man charged with shooting and killing a 20-year-old in downtown Phoenixville last year has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and related charges, court documents show.

Keyon La-Shawn Carpenter, 22, of Phoenixville, will spend the next 30 to 60 years behind bars for his crimes.

Carpenter got into a verbal argument with 20-year-old Joshua Mitchell on Sept. 28, 2017 in the Children's Plaza. When Carpenter drew a gun Mitchell fled, but Carpenter chased him down and shot him at point blank range.

Carpenter then fled the scene before being arrested in Philadelphia the next day. The gun was recovered from the area of the shooting. An investigation determined that it had been stolen and attempts had been made to file off the serial number.

There were multiple witnesses to the incident.

Mitchell, a former student at Phoenixville Area High School, was remembered for his love of fishing. weight-lifting, and working on computers.

In addition to third degree murder, Carpenter was also convicted of firearms possession, receiving stolen property, and altering the serial number of a weapon.

Image of Carpenter via Phoenixville Police