Peoria Standard

Tnashia S. Wash, 20, was sentenced to 31 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the murder of Roderick Richardson, 30. The sentencing took place on August 21, 2025, in Peoria, Illinois. Richardson was shot multiple times inside his West Bluff home in October 2023 and died at the scene.

During the hearing, a letter from Richardson’s mother was read aloud. She described her pain after losing her son: “She shared struggles of sleepless nights, unanswered questions, and holidays now filled with silence instead of joy. She wrote that the defendant didn’t just take her son’s life but shattered their family and left a permanent hole that can never be repaired.”

The judge acknowledged that Wash had no prior criminal history but emphasized that taking a life required a significant consequence: “However, because a life was taken, there had to be a significant consequence.”

Wash admitted to killing Richardson but said it was an act of self-defense. According to Wash, she and her child were staying with Richardson when an argument turned physical. She claimed Richardson pointed a gun at her and threatened them both. After gaining control of the weapon during the altercation, Wash said she fired as Richardson charged at her. However, evidence showed four out of six shots struck Richardson in the back and none were fired from close range—details inconsistent with self-defense.

In June 2025, Wash pleaded guilty to First-Degree Murder. Due to her lack of criminal history and as part of her plea agreement, prosecutors capped her possible sentence at 35 years. Under Illinois law, although Wash must serve all 31 years imposed by the court for this offense, she may become eligible for parole after serving 20 years because she was under age 21 at the time.

Peoria County is also home to numerous schools serving diverse student populations across its districts. In the 2022-23 school year there were about 27,081 students enrolled with an average student-to-teacher ratio of fifteen-to-one among its schools (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism stood at about thirty-two percent countywide—slightly below Illinois' statewide average (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Local high schools such as Dunlap High School had high enrollment numbers among white students while Richwoods High School led in multiracial enrollment; Lincoln School served the highest number of Hispanic students and Peoria High School enrolled more Black students than any other school in Peoria County (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).