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MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A man has pled guilty to the 2020 stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, according to Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich.

Investigators said the victim, Shannon Lee Coats, 55, was last seen alive on June 30, 2020. Security cameras showed 56-year-old Johnny Ferrell entering her apartment on St. Charles and leaving several hours later.

Coats’ body was discovered in her apartment by friends two days later. Officials say she had been stabbed more than a dozen times in the neck and chest.

According to the press release, Ferrell had a fresh cut on his thumb and was linked to the crime scene through blood evidence.

Ferrell pled guilty in criminal court Monday to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.