Adiah Roberson, who was 17 at the time, pleaded no contest to murder and aggravated assault after fatally shooting Sonic Drive‑In manager Daniel Shrewsbury on July 7, 2024. She received the maximum agreed sentence—40 years for murder and 20 years for the assault charge, to be served concurrently. Roberson was arrested in October 2024 after a months‑long manhunt; a second person initially arrested in the case had his murder charge dropped. The victim's mother opposed the plea while Roberson's family asked for mercy during sentencing.
Teen Sentenced to 40 Years for Killing Sonic Manager After Dispute Over Suspected Counterfeit Bill
San Antonio Police Department; M.E. Rodriguez Funeral Home
A Texas teenager has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after a 2024 confrontation at a Sonic Drive‑In left a manager dead.
Details of the Case
Defendant: Adiah Roberson, now 19 (17 at the time of the shooting)
Victim: Daniel Shrewsbury, 33, a Sonic Drive‑In manager
San Antonio Police Department
Date of shooting: July 7, 2024
Location: Sonic Drive‑In on Babcock Road, San Antonio
Roberson pleaded no contest to charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and received the maximum agreed sentence: 40 years for murder and 20 years for the assault charge, to be served concurrently. She entered the plea on Jan. 9, and State District Judge Benjamin Robertson imposed the agreed term during a sentencing hearing, saying he did so "reluctantly" and had earlier voiced concern that the 40‑year cap might be insufficient.
M.E. Rodriguez Funeral Home
What Led to the Shooting
According to investigators and local reporting, the confrontation began after Sonic employees believed Roberson had attempted to pay for food with a suspected counterfeit bill. When manager Daniel Shrewsbury followed the vehicle outside to photograph the license plate for a police report, Roberson reportedly exited the car and shot him.
Arrest and Investigation
After the shooting Roberson was the subject of a months‑long manhunt and was placed on Texas’s Top 10 Most Wanted list. She was arrested in October 2024 at an apartment complex in Dallas. A second person, identified by authorities as Joshua Joseph and alleged to be the driver that night, was arrested in August 2024; prosecutors later dropped his murder charge.
Sentencing Hearing
At the hearing, Shrewsbury’s mother, Peggy Cofield, spoke against the plea agreement. "The only thing I have of my son is his picture on the wall and his ashes on myself — I’ll never get him back," she told the court.
"I flipped him over and I heard his last breath. His face was blue, his lips were blue … I just don’t understand why people would play God and try to take someone’s life,"
Members of Roberson’s family also testified, asking for leniency and describing her as a talented, intelligent young woman who made a tragic mistake.
Case Status
With Roberson’s plea and the judge’s imposition of the agreed sentence, the criminal case against her is concluded. Charges against the alleged driver have been dismissed. The case drew extensive local coverage and underscores ongoing concerns about violent responses to relatively minor disputes.
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