A Utah woman accused of murdering her friend in a failed suicide pact earlier this year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, authorities said.
Heavenly Faith Garfield pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a second-degree felony, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and will be sentenced on November 6, Timothy L. Taylor, Deputy Utah County Attorney, said in an emailed statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Sept. 27. She faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the statement.
Garfield was arrested in April and charged with murder and felony discharge of a firearm in connection with the shooting death of her 21-year-old friend, Brooklyn Michelle Barrett, as named by relatives on a GoFundMe page and obituary.
On April 30, Garfield’s father contacted 911 to report the incident, in which officials said his daughter shot the victim in a Saratoga Springs, Utah, residence, according to an affidavit of probable cause quoted by KUTV, the Associated Press, and CBS News.
Officers who arrived at the location indicated that the woman had a gunshot wound to the head, that her corpse was covered with a blanket, and that flowers were on a bed, Court TV reported.
“Investigators determined that Garfield and [her] friend had entered into a suicide pact, and Garfield admitted to shooting [her] friend in the head,” Taylor told PEOPLE. “After shooting [her] friend, Garfield did not go through with the suicide pact.”
According to the affidavit, the companions had been discussing the suicide pact for several weeks, family members said, according to the Associated Press. According to the affidavit, the victim’s companion gave police text exchanges in which she expressed a desire to die but was too afraid to do so. According to the AP, the friend also told authorities about Garfield and the victim’s suicide pact.
Taylor stated in her plea that Garfield admitted to the following facts: “On or about April 30, 2024, in Utah County, Utah, I knew [friend] intended to end her life by suicide, and I aided [friend] in committing suicide.”
Barrett was recalled as a “vibrant and promising young woman” on a GoFundMe account set up to help her parents after her death.
Her untimely death has left her loved ones coping with enormous pain and burden, choosing to focus on honoring her memory and remembering the wonderful life she lived,” the fundraising added.
Barrett, according to her obituary, graduated from Herriman High School in 2021 and worked at a daycare before her death. According to the obituary, she enjoyed traveling and spending time outside.
Taylor stated that the victim’s family “supported the resolution.”