PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia man admitted on Wednesday he killed a young mother and shot at two Philadelphia police officers two years ago, stemming from an argument over a cellphone and some money.
Spencer Majett, 30, admitted he pulled a gun on a group of people he was fighting with outside a Kensington deli just after midnight on Oct. 8, 2024.
One of the men in the group had a knife, so Majett pulled a gun and began to fire towards the group. Instead, he struck 23-year-old Felicity Vanatta, who happened to be standing nearby.
Vanatta was struck in the chest and died at the hospital. She was described in an online tribute as a “funny, incredible” friend who loved her young daughter.
Detectives eventually named Majett as the suspect, and put out an alert to patrol officers to look for him. When a pair of officers spotted him weeks later near Kensington and Allegheny avenues, he ran and they chased after him.
Majett admitted in court that he shot once at the officers. Neither was hit, but they fired back, hitting him twice in the back.
Now physically recovered, Majett pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for killing Vanatta, as well as aggravated assault, assault on law enforcement and gun offenses.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in May.