Peoria Standard

Robert A. White, a 30-year-old individual, entered a guilty plea today in Peoria, Illinois, during a plea hearing. White was charged with Second Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery with a Firearm for a New Year's Day incident resulting in the death of Bridgett Ross, aged 35, and injuries to another male victim.

Previously, White was convicted in the murder of Daniella Jackson, which occurred approximately two hours prior to Ross's murder. For this crime, White received a 69-year prison sentence in July 2023.

Today's plea agreement aimed primarily to respect the wishes of the victim's family, seeking to avoid another trial. The family expressed their desire for White to serve a lifelong prison sentence. The agreement ensures consecutive sentences, resulting in a total of 99 years. White received a 20-year sentence for the Second Degree Murder charge, which is the maximum, and an additional 10-year sentence for Aggravated Battery with a Firearm.

In the early hours of New Year's Day 2022, White attended a holiday gathering at the residence of Daniella Jackson and Levi Conway. The gathering ended with White shooting Conway three times and Jackson four times. Conway survived his injuries, but Jackson was found deceased at the scene. White fled the scene thereafter.

While officers responded to this incident, they were alerted to another shooting on W. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. At that time, they were not aware of any connection between the two events.

Upon reaching the site of the second shooting, officers found Bridgett Ross and another male, both with gunshot wounds. Despite immediate medical intervention, Ross was pronounced dead at the hospital. The male victim sustained a non-life-threatening injury. Investigations revealed White fled to Ross’s apartment following the initial shooting and fired a shot through her door from the hallway, first hitting the male victim in the neck and then fatally wounding Ross.