A Bluffton man who ambushed and fatally shot his ex-girlfriend while she drove her 6-year-old son to school has been sentenced to life in prison after halting his trial mid-way to plead guilty. John Patrick Shea, who turns 30 this Saturday, admitted to the March 2023 murder of Jillian Angner.
He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Angner’s young son, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Circuit Court Judge S. Bryan Doby handed down the maximum penalty: life in prison, according to the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
“This was a calculated and deeply disturbing act of violence,” said Hunter Swanson of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “Today’s conviction cannot restore Jillian’s life, but it brings some measure of justice to her friends, family, and young son. I hope this helps them heal.”
The ambush took place on the morning of March 2, 2023. Angner had just left her home in an unincorporated area of Bluffton to drive her son to school when Shea opened fire on her Jeep Cherokee, striking her multiple times, including a fatal shot to the neck. Though she was placed on life support, Angner never regained consciousness and passed away on August 5, 2023.
The couple had ended their relationship in late 2022. In the months that followed, Angner had reported several incidents of stalking and home break-ins, allegedly committed by Shea. Investigators revealed that Shea planned the ambush with the assistance of a friend who unknowingly drove him to Angner’s neighborhood, believing they were on a drug run.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots, and home surveillance footage captured a Ford F-150 near the scene at the time of the shooting. The truck’s driver later cooperated with investigators and helped reconstruct the timeline. Remarkably, Angner’s son survived the attack. He escaped by crawling out of the vehicle and hiding in a nearby marsh.
His forensic interview later provided crucial details that aligned with the physical evidence gathered by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Shea was arrested days later while attempting to flee, caught loading suitcases into his car at his apartment complex. A search of his home uncovered chilling evidence, including defaced photos of Angner, occult items, and a disturbing list documenting his past romantic relationships.
Authorities also found a letter from Shea’s mother detailing previous violent behavior and substance abuse concerns. Swanson, who leads the Special Victims and Career Criminal Units of the Solicitor’s Office, presented seven witnesses before Shea entered his guilty plea on the second day of trial in Beaufort County General Sessions Court.