A Warren County teen who shot her stepmother in the face with a high-powered rifle in 2011 pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and avoided a retrial.

Tyla Vega, 18, entered the guilty plea before Circuit Judge Isadore Patrick. She had been set to go to trial again this week after jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict last March.

Patrick set sentencing for 9 a.m. May 1. Vega faces between 20 and 40 years in prison.

“There is no recommendation by the state in this case, so that is the sentencing range for the court,” Patrick told Vega, who appeared emotionless.

Vega made no statement during the hearing except to answer yes or no questions from Patrick.

In the trial last March, 10 jurors voted to convict Vega of murder while two wanted to convict her of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

“We were concerned because of the nature of the defense argument some jurors might be swayed to a manslaughter conviction. We believe strongly this is not a case of manslaughter but a case of murder,” District Attorney Ricky Smith said.

Patrick ordered a presentencing investigation

Tyla Vega was 14 when she shot Michelle Vega on May 2, 2011, at the family’s home at 100 Jones Road, Lot 19. She had skipped school that day, according to testimony from her trial.

Tyla Vega originally testified that she she shot Michelle Vega in self-defense. But prosecutors said Michelle Vega was on the phone when she was shot. Evidence photos show bruising to Michelle Vega’s face in the shape of a cellphone.

“It is the state’s belief that Michelle was calling the Youth Detention Center to tell them where Tyla was,” Smith said.

Defense attorney Marshall Sanders contended throughout the weeklong trial that Tyla Vega was beaten and neglected because of her race.

Her biological mother is black. Her father, Jason Vega, is white, as was Michelle Vega. Neither Tyla Vega’s biological mother nor Jason Vega testified at the trial.

Tyla Vega was arrested in Greenville six days after Michelle Vega’s body was found. She posted  $75,000 bail and was released but later returned to jail after her bonding agent revoked her bail.

She has been held without bail in the Warren County Jail since that bond revocation in December 2011. It is likely she will receive credit at sentencing for the more than three years she has spent in jail.