Man sentenced for 2021 death of woman
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Providence man who was charged with the second-degree murder of a woman in 2021 and had his charge dropped to manslaughter after pleading no contest was sentenced Wednesday.
30-year-old Ryan Gallagher was charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the murder of Taylor Peterson in Glocester.
The charge was dropped to manslaughter with the permission of Peterson’s family, and he was sentenced to 25 years, with 13 years suspended sentence, and 25 years of probation.
He was also given credit for time served from December 2022 to the present.
According to prosecutors, Gallagher handed Peterson a loaded hand gun while the safety was off while she was doing laundry.
He then shot her during an argument, and she died days later.
“His conduct reflected an indifference to the consequences of his actions. As a result of the defendant’s criminally negligent handling of the pistol, the defendant unintentionally discharged the handgun, striking Miss Peterson in the chest and causing her death,” Prosecutor Mark Benjamin said.
