A man who pleaded guilty to murdering an 80-year-old woman in South Roanoke has been sentenced to life in prison.

Police say Kurt Davis, 34, killed Susan Williams, 80 to "keep the peace" by hitting her in the head with a rock.

Roanoke’s police chief and mayor visited the neighborhood where an elderly woman was brutally murdered earlier this week, checking in with residents and offering support. The area was lined with police officers and volunteers who went door-to-door, assisting in the aftermath of the crime. The common sentiment from residents: “This never happens here.”