A Salisbury Township woman entered a guilty plea in the death of another woman found shot to death in the residence they shared, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office dated Nov. 8.

On Nov. 7, Terri Hodel, 41, pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree, a felony of the first degree, in the homicide of Tracy Lynn Hoffman in 2022.

Hodel was sentenced the same day to serve 20 to 40 years in prison, according to authorities.

The case was outlined in the news release as follows:

At approximately 3:30 p.m. July 31, 2022, township police officers went to a residence in the 700 block of East Federal Street after a request from a family member to check on Hodel, who lived in the home.

No one responded to officers knocking and identifying themselves. The officers entered the house through a door “while continuing to announce their presence,” according to the news release.

Hodel came out of a bedroom at the time and told officers she was OK and asked them to leave, according to authorities.

When officers asked about Hoffman, who also lived at the house, Hodel told police she had not seen Hoffman. Officers left the residence, noticing Hoffman’s car parked in the driveway.

Police contacted county caseworkers who also came to the Federal Street home to check on the residents. Caseworkers heard dogs barking, but saw no one at the house and did not go inside.

“On Aug. 1, 2022, Salisbury Township Animal Control received an email from Hodel asking that they take care of the dogs at the Federal Street home and the door was unlocked,” according to the news release.

At approximately 8:47 a.m. that day Salisbury Township police officers returned to the home.

“Officers found a note from Hodel and Hoffman’s body in a bedroom,” according to the news release.

Hoffman had been shot.

In news coverage at the time, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio wrote, “I am ruling the manner of death Homicide.”

Hodel was taken into custody later that day and confined to Lehigh County Jail without bail.

“The case was investigated by Salisbury Township police Detective Diano Reavis and Lehigh County District Attorney Homicide Task Force Detective Timothy Salgado. The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Edward A. Muir and Senior Deputy District Attorney Gregory R. Englert,” according to the news release from the district attorney’s office.

According to court documents, original charges in the case included criminal homicide.