In the early morning hours of September 27, 2017, the life of 33-year-old Terrance Corrigan IV was tragically cut short in a Fishtown apartment building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A white male, Corrigan was a contractor specializing in roofing, cement, and carpentry work. Remembered by his family as a talented artist and a natural leader, his death left a void in the lives of his loved ones.
The person responsible for his death was his girlfriend, Jeanette Wakefield, a former Center
City real estate agent. Their relationship, which began in early 2016, was described as tumultuous. On the night of the shooting, the couple had been arguing. The conflict escalated, leading to Corrigan damaging a cherished table in the hallway outside Wakefield's apartment. When he tried to re-enter the apartment, Wakefield, a licensed gun owner, opened the door and shot him once. The bullet struck him just below his right eye, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Wakefield's two young children were in the apartment at the time of the incident.
Jeanette Wakefield was arrested and initially charged with murder and possession of an instrument of crime. During her trial, the prosecution argued that the shooting was an act of anger, not fear, and that Wakefield could have locked her door instead of resorting to deadly force. The defense, however, contended that Wakefield acted in self-defense, fearing for her safety. They alleged that Corrigan had been violent towards her, a claim his family vehemently denied.
In July 2019, a Philadelphia judge convicted Wakefield of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime, acquitting her of first and third-degree murder. In October of that year, she was sentenced to 3 ½ to 7 years in state prison, followed by two years of probation. The sentence, which fell within the sentencing guidelines, was met with anger and disappointment from Corrigan's family, who believed she should have been convicted of murder. His father called the sentence 'a disgrace,' and his aunt, who was on the phone with Wakefield at the time of the shooting, stated, 'She got away with murder.' At her sentencing, Wakefield expressed remorse, stating, 'Terry was someone I loved and cared about. This is something I wished hadn't happened.'
