Pair sentenced to prison for killing girlfriend's mother

A woman and her boyfriend were sentenced Feb. 14 for killing the woman’s mother, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. 

Shannon Marie LaFon, 29, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, while Troy Monroe Hill, 32, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On Jan. 30, the two were found guilty of killing LaFon’s mother, 53-year-old Trudy Elizabeth Douglass. Hill was convicted of one count of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait. Jurors also found true an allegation that Hill used an ax handle as a deadly weapon. 

LaFon pleaded no contest on June 7, 2017, to one count of second-degree murder. 

Prosecutors said that prior to the killing, the couple was homeless and had been staying at Douglass’ Van Nuys home. At some point, Douglass asked them to leave.

Sometime between Sept. 4 and Sept. 8, 2014, Hill struck Douglass with an ax handle and then used the handle to strangle her to death, prosecutors said.

Hill and LaFon then dragged Douglass into a bathtub and left her there. The two were arrested less than a week later in connection with the killing.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.