An Oklahoma woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the fatal shooting of her sister-in-law over a dispute about a marijuana grinder. Alexis Flanner, 26, was found guilty of second-degree murder for intentionally killing Estrella Mendoza, 37, who was married to Flanner’s brother, Aljuan Mendoza. The sentencing was handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Flanner admitted to the crime, stating in her plea agreement that she shot Mendoza out of anger when Mendoza refused to return her marijuana grinder. The court documents reveal that Flanner believed Mendoza would not return the item, leading to the fatal confrontation.
The incident occurred on the night of July 7, 2022, at a QuikTrip convenience store. According to the police report, the victim’s husband, who was asleep in the car at the time of the shooting, woke up to the sound of a gunshot and found his wife on the ground. Mendoza managed to tell her husband that his sister had shot her before losing consciousness.
Surveillance footage from the scene showed Mendoza attempting to crawl away from Flanner before collapsing. Flanner was seen fleeing the scene immediately after the shooting.
Flanner, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, was charged in federal court. The case was handled by the FBI and the Tulsa Police Department. She will remain in custody until she is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Mendoza, known as “Star” to her family and friends, was a mother of nine children. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with expenses related to this tragic event. The page describes Mendoza as a loving mother whose children range in age from toddlers to high school students.