Two fatally shot in Pa. are mourned

A 21-year-old Coatesville woman who was fatally shot on Sunday had been waiting eagerly for her college diploma to arrive in the mail, her mother said yesterday.

Shontae M. Peterson and her boyfriend, Carnell L. Parker, 24, also of Coatesville, were found by police about 9 a.m. at Parker's residence in the 200 block of Charles Street in Coatesville, said Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll.

Carroll said police, who responded to a 911 call, found both victims in the dining room, where they had been shot in the back of the head.

An investigation is continuing, Carroll said. Parker had been scheduled to appear in court today to face drug-possession charges, according to court records.

Betsy Branch, Peterson's mother, said that her daughter had just completed a two-year degree in interior design at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr and was excited about exploring job prospects.

"She was hoping to work for a big furniture store or an architect," her mother said, choking back tears. "She was a role model for her many nieces and nephews."

Erin Anderson, 21, a friend of Peterson's since childhood, described her as "a bubbly, beautiful person with a big heart."

"She used to go to open houses, and then she would call me to talk about all of her design ideas," Anderson said.

Anderson said that she last saw Peterson on Friday and that her friend seemed "very happy" and upbeat.

"She just graduated in May, and she just turned 21 in May," said Teresa Bivens 21, a high school friend. "Her life was just beginning, and something terrible like this happened."

Bivens said Peterson qualified to work as a resident assistant at Harcum and received a cash award for drawing when she graduated from Coatesville.

At the crime scene yesterday, balloons, candles, cards and flowers adorned the front steps of the red-brick duplex Parker shared with his mother and sister, just below the yellow police tape.

Gregory Powell, who lives in the next block, described Parker as "always respectful and polite."

"He came from a good family," said Powell. Efforts to reach Parker's family were not successful.

Thomas Lawrence, 24, said he and Parker were childhood friends and graduates of Coatesville Senior High School.

"Everybody liked him," said Lawrence. "He always made you laugh."

Lawrence said his friend, who had three children, had not been working.

According to court records, Parker was scheduled to appear in Chester County Court today for a hearing on drug charges.

Court records also show that Parker pleaded guilty to harassment in 2005 and received a sentence of three months' probation. In July 2003, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, receiving one month's probation. A guilty plea to marijuana possession in May 2003 led to a three-month jail term, court records said.

Anyone with information about the homicides is asked to call Coatesville Police at 610-384-2300.