PORTLAND, Ind. (WANE) – A Portland woman was found guilty of murder for killing her softball coach’s former boyfriend when she was 18-years-old. The guilty verdict happened on Wednesday afternoon.

Shelby Hiestand was convicted for the Jan. 12, 2020, shooting death of Shea Briar.

Shelby-Hiestand-Esther-Stephen (1)
Pictured are, from left, Shelby Hiestand and Esther Stephen.

According to court documents, Heistand, then 18, met Esther J. Stephen at a Fairview church, where they called Briar. The pair then picked up Briar at his Portland home and the three drove to a bridge on C.R. 125 West.

On the bridge, while Stephen distracted Briar, Hiestand shot him in the back with a .22-caliber rifle, according to court records.

Briar was found in the roadway around 2 a.m. Jan. 12. He was taken to a Decatur hospital then transferred to a Fort Wayne hospital, where he was pronounce dead.

A jury found Stephen guilty of the crime in March. She was sentenced 55 years for murder.

Court records show Stephen and Briar were in a custody battle over a child. Briar intended to establish paternity for the child, petitioned for child custody, and filed to provide support, parenting time, and a name change for the child.

The Fort Recovery Local Schools in Fort Recovery, Ohio confirmed Stephen and Hiestand were softball coaches at the school.

Hiestand will be sentenced Sept. 24.