Murderer sentenced to life in prison

A Neshoba County woman was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her boyfriend during the March term of Circuit Court.

Stephanie Michelle Vance, 27, was convicted for the first degree murder of Christopher Bland in March of 2023.

District Attorney Steven Kilgore said life in prison was “the only allowable sentence” following the guilty verdict.

Her trial began on March 18 and ended on March 19.

The state presented evidence that Vance intentionally shot and killed her live-in boyfriend, Kilgore said. The jury also heard from Vance, who took the stand in her own defense.

The jury was presented with the option of convicting Vance of first-degree murder, manslaughter or to find her not guilty, Kilgore said.

During the second day of trial, the jury returned the verdict. Kilgore said once the jury was dismissed, the court sentenced the defendant to the only allowable sentence, life in prison.

The sentence stems from a Friday, March 3, 2023, incident when officers responded to 11852 Highway 16 West for an emergency medical call.

“The caller stated that she had discharged her handgun and shot her boyfriend,”  according to Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark at the time. “She stated the .9mm SCCY handgun went off while they were fighting.” 

Deputies and Neshoba EMS responded. Vance was detained and Child Protection Services was contacted to assist and take custody of their 8-month-old child.

The victim was taken to Neshoba General and later flown by helicopter to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson where he died the following day, according to Clark.

He said Vance was initially charged with aggravated domestic violence, but the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder after Bland’s death.

Vance was indicted Dec. 14, 2023, for the murder of Bland.  Clark said Vance was arrested in January 2024 in Dutchess County, New York, on the murder indictment and was later extradited to local custody.