A Sandy Creek Township woman faces life in prison for allegedly shooting her live-in boyfriend to death in March.

Kathleen Ann Robinson, 31, of 322 Pearson Road, was arraigned Tuesday in Mercer County Common Pleas Court on charges of first- and third-degree murder.

First-degree murder -- a willful, deliberate or premeditated killing -- carries a mandatory life sentence, while sentencing guidelines for third-degree murder call for 20 to 40 years in prison.

Ms. Robinson was returned to Mercer County Jail after her arraignment in front of Judge Michael J. Wherry. She has been held at the jail without bond since the shooting.

Her case will be put on the June trial list, said Lorinda Hinch, first assistant district attorney.

State police say Ms. Robinson shot Robert A. Erickson Jr., 42, once in the abdomen with a rifle at 2 a.m. March 10 in the home they shared. Erickson died later that morning during surgery at UPMC Horizon, Greenville.

Judy Knauff -- a friend of Ms. Robinson's who testified at a preliminary hearing in district court -- said she was at the couple's home when Erickson was shot. She said she met Ms. Robinson at a Crawford County bar after Ms. Robinson and Erickson had argued at a different bar, allegedly because Erickson asked another woman out.

Ms. Knauff said she gave Ms. Robinson a ride home and, during the ride, Ms. Robinson said she would shoot Erickson if he were at home. When the women arrived at the home, Erickson was on the couch. Ms. Knauff said Ms. Robinson got a rifle from a bedroom closet and again threatened to shoot Erickson. Erickson said, "Go ahead," according to Ms. Knauff.

Ms. Knauff said she tried to push the barrel of the rifle away from Erickson but Ms. Robinson pushed her down and fired.

Ms. Robinson and Erickson had lived together on and off for 11 years and had two children together, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by state police.