Man Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter After Tahlequah Shooting Death

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A family has waited two years for some measure of justice after their son was shot and killed, then burned.

Braeden Collins' family said he was planning to become a Marine, but his life was cut short during the July 4th weekend of 2021.

Kiah Pritchett pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in federal court Tuesday.

Collins' family said Collins and Pritchett had never met before that day two years ago.

They also said, had Pritchett been in prison from a previous case, their son would still be alive today.

Pritchett said Braeden crashed his car near where Pritchett spent the night. He said Braeden asked for a ride to a gas station to meet his girlfriend, and Pritchett agreed.

But on the way, Pritchett said Braeden got angry about the route Pritchett was taking. Pritchett said Braeden grabbed a gun in the car and the two fought over it, then Pritchett fired and hit Braeden.

Pritchett said it was self-defense.

Braeden's family has never believed that because the autopsy shows Braeden was shot in the back of the head. After his death, Braeden was found burned to death in Pritchett's car.

News On 6 talked with Braeden's parents earlier this summer, and his mom said Braeden was a great kid who loved baseball and was planning to become a Marine.

"My son was 18 years old though, and had a whole life ahead of him, and he took that. So he shouldn't get to experience what my son can't experience,” Jenny Bump said.

Pritchett was convicted in Cherokee County in 2019 for having a gun while on probation and reckless conduct with a gun.

Court records show he was given a five year suspended sentence to run at the same time as a 2018 DUI and child endangerment case.