A Delaware County judge imposed decades in prison after a fatal shooting that left a mother dead and her newborn child severely injured.
MEDIA, PA – A Pennsylvania man will spend up to 44 years in prison for killing his pregnant girlfriend in their Lansdowne apartment, a case that left a newborn child on life support and a family grappling with lasting trauma. The sentence was handed down Thursday after a jury convicted Kaiheem Williams, 20, of third-degree murder and related charges tied to the November 2024 shooting of 19-year-old Tanyiah Bell.
Williams was sentenced by Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Judge Margaret Amoroso to 22 to 44 years behind bars. In April, a jury found him guilty of third-degree murder, aggravated assault of an unborn child, and possessing an instrument of crime.
“I wish I had the power to bring Tanyiah back, and if I could, Tylicia, I would,” Amoroso told Bell’s mother in court. “I see your pain, I do. I see it, but I can’t imagine it.”
Fatal shooting inside Lansdowne apartment
The shooting occurred inside the couple’s apartment in Lansdowne, a borough west of Philadelphia. According to court records, Williams called 911 after the shooting and made statements to first responders indicating he had been under the influence.
“I was fried, man,” Williams told first responders, according to a criminal complaint. “I was outside smoking.”
Authorities said Bell was “clearly pregnant” when she was shot in the head with a .45-caliber handgun while watching television. She was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where doctors performed emergency surgery in an effort to save her unborn child.
“The child was born alive at the time of the emergency surgery and is currently on life support with minimal neurological brain activity,” police said. “The condition is irreversible. The child is not expected to survive without the life support machines.”
The child, later named Miracle Bell by her grandmother, survived but continues to require extensive medical care.
Survivor child faces ongoing medical challenges
More than a year after the shooting, Miracle Bell remains dependent on life support and constant care, though she has shown limited physical progress. Her grandmother, Tylicia Bell, has taken on the responsibility of raising her.
“Sometimes I feel frustration and rage, because I look at her and it makes me think of her dad and what he did,” Tylicia Bell told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But when I look at her and I’m caring for her, it makes me think of my daughter and what she would want me to do. She would want me to raise her daughter the way I raised her, and it’s just a feeling of joy. My grandbaby brightens my day.”
Trial testimony and evidence
During interviews with detectives, Williams said he was alone with Bell at the time of the shooting. According to the complaint, he described returning home, finding her “fine” and watching TV, and then “blacked out.”
“He returned from work, spent approximately an hour in the apartment eating and ‘smoking’ with Bell, and then left to go to the store,” the complaint states. “He returned home and Bell was ‘fine’ watching TV in the bedroom. He turned around and ‘blacked out.’ His next memory was calling 911 from Bell’s phone because she was shot.”
Doorbell video captured Williams leaving the apartment about 15 minutes before reporting the shooting. Authorities also recovered a .45-caliber bullet from his pocket.
At trial, Williams testified the shooting was accidental, claiming he believed the firearm was unloaded while attempting to secure it.
“I didn’t want that to happen,” Williams told jurors. “That’s the last thing I wanted to happen. I don’t understand how I could have let that happen. It wasn’t supposed to happen at all.”
He also described the immediate aftermath in court, saying, “I think she’s dead,” as he attempted to respond to the situation.
Pennsylvania remains one of only three jurisdictions that still recognize third-degree murder as a criminal charge, a factor that shaped the prosecution and ultimate conviction in this case.