UPDATE 12/16/19 @ 2:00 p.m.

A woman who admitted to fatally shooting her ex-husband in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant may spend the rest of her life in prison.

Belinda Adkins, 41, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 23 years. She will get credit for time served that will count toward the parole eligibility.

Adkins entered a guilty plea to aggravated murder Monday, which is the day her trial was scheduled to begin.

Prosecutors say she shot and killed her ex-husband, Joshua Jones, 39, in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in South Point back in January. Investigators say Adkins was meeting Jones for what was supposed to be a custody exchange of their daughter.

Prosecutors say Adkins admitted to shooting Jones five times and recording the incident on her phone.

UPDATE 12/16/19 @ 10:20 a.m.

A woman has admitted to fatally shooting her ex-husband in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant.

Belinda Adkins, 41, of South Point, entered a guilty plea to aggravated murder on Monday, the same day her trial was set to begin.

Prosecutors say Adkins shot and killed her ex-husband, Joshua Jones, 39, in the parking lot of McDonald's in South Point. It happened back in January when investigators say Jones was set to meet Adkins for a custody exchange of their daughter.

Prosecutors say Adkins admitted to shooting Jones five times and recorded the incident on her phone.

Adkins will be sentenced at 1 p.m.

WSAZ has a crew in the courtroom.

Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.

UPDATE 2/27/19 @ 9:20 p.m.

A woman accused of killing her ex-husband has been indicted.

The Lawrence County Prosecutor says Belinda Adkins, 41, of South Point, Ohio, was indicted on a murder charge by a grand jury.

Adkins previously pleaded not guilty to the shooting incident that happened Jan. 23 in the parking lot of the McDonald’s in South Point.

The victim, Joshua Jones, 39, of South Point, was set to meet in the parking lot for a custody exchange of the couple’s daughter.

The couple had a volatile history, according to family and investigators.

UPDATE 1/28/19 @ 11:35 a.m.

The woman accused of shooting and killing her ex-husband pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

Belinda Adkins appeared in court Monday for her arraignment.

She pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge and was given a $1 million bond.

Adkins is accused of shooting and killing her ex-husband Joshua Jones in a McDonald's parking lot.

Lawrence County deputies say Jones went thinking he was meeting Adkins to pick up their 9-year-old daughter when he was shot.

Deputies say the two were in court just a week before the shooting, fighting over custody of the child.

Adkins is set to be back in court Feb. 4 for a hearing.

UPDATE 1/25/19 @ 10 p.m.

After nearly 48 hours, the hunt for the woman accused of shooting and killing her ex-husband came to an end Friday afternoon.

The Lawrence County Sheriff says Belinda Adkins went to a home in Burlington and told a man she wanted to turn herself in.

Adkins is charged with first-degree murder, accused of shooting Joshua Jones several times in a McDonald's parking lot Wednesday.

Mark Ibn says he heard a knock on his door on Cedar Street in Burlington around 2:45 p.m.

To his surprise, it was Belinda Adkins.

"Physically you could see she was nervous," Mark said. "She was standing on my walkway right here. She stated she was unarmed, and she just asked me to call the police."

Mark says he offered her a cigarette and a drink while she waited, but she declined.

Detectives came to the house and took her into custody.

"When they pulled up, she got on her knees and interlocked her hands behind her head," Mark said.

He says that was his first time ever talking with Adkins face-to-face and that he only knew her through mutual friends on social media.

He says he was surprised she chose his home to be the location of her surrender.

"She told me I was the only one she knew around here," he said.

"I was really surprised that here is where she turned herself in," neighbor Brenda Stepp said.

"She stated that she loves her kids, and they'll be alright," Mark said.

Adkins was taken to the Lawrence County Jail. She's set to be arraigned Monday morning.

The sheriff says the shooting was believed to be over a child custody dispute.

UPDATE 1/25/19 @ 4:25 p.m.

A suspect in a deadly shooting that happened Wednesday in a McDonald's parking lot has been arrested, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office says.

Sheriff Jeff Lawless said Belinda Adkins, 41, of South Point, Ohio, was taken into custody around 2:45 p.m. Friday after she went to a home along Cedar Street in Burlington.

Joshua Jones, 39, of South Point, died after the shooting, which happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the McDonald's near South Point. Jones was Adkins' ex-husband, and the couple had a volatile history, according to family and investigators.

The shooting stemmed from a child custody dispute, investigators say.

Just before Adkins was arrested, Lawless said detectives working the case were a few blocks away. He said they were notified Adkins wanted to surrender, and detectives found her standing at the end of the driveway of the property. She was arrested there without incident.

Adkins was charged with first-degree murder and taken to the Lawrence County Jail. She is set to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Monday in Lawrence County Municipal Court.

In a statement, Lawless extended a special thank you to U.S. Marshals who he said "logged many hours and many resources helping us try to track down this suspect."

The sheriff went on to say, “I am very proud of the men and women of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office. My staff has worked nonstop on this case, in an effort to keep Lawrence County safe.”

We will have more on the developing story. Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

UPDATE 1/24/19 @ 6:10 p.m.

Although the suspect in a deadly shooting in a McDonald's parking lot is still wanted, the car she apparently was driving has been found, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office says.

The white Chevrolet Malibu was found around 5 p.m. Thursday on 10th Street near the intersection of Walnut Street in Ironton. Investigators say it had a coating of snow on it, indicating it had been parked there for a while.

Deputies say it's the car they believe Belinda Adkins was driving after she allegedly shot her ex-husband, Joshua C. Jones. The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the McDonald's near South Point. Jones was pronounced dead at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

Investigators say the car has since been impounded.

Anyone with information about where Adkins may be is asked to call the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office at 740-532-3525.

Investigators say the shooting stemmed over a custody dispute.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

UPDATE 1/24/19 @ 12:22 p.m.

Investigators released the name of a murder suspect who is still on the run. A mother is accused of shooting and killing a man in a McDonald's parking lot during a custody exchange gone wrong.

Belinda Adkins, 41, of South Point, is wanted for first-degree murder. Detectives say they are working all leads, including some in Huntington and Wayne County.

The victim is Joshua C. Jones, 39, of South Point. Investigators say he had three kids, including a 9-year-old daughter he shared with the suspect.

Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless says Jones was shot Wednesday in the fast food parking lot in the 200 block of County Road 306 in South Point.

Lawless tells WSAZ the pair went to the fast food restaurant for a custody exchange. Adkins was supposed to hand off their daughter to Jones. However, investigators determined Adkins never brought the child with her.

Immediately after the shooting, detectives say Adkins took off in a white 2008 Chevy Malibu.

The sheriff says they were seconds away from issuing an Amber Alert when the young girl was found with relatives.

A judge just awarded Jones custody last week, according to Sheriff Lawless. The details about the custody agreement were not released though.

Adkins is described as being 5’4”, 175 lbs, with black hair and blue eyes. If you have any information about the case, call the sheriff's office at (740) 532-3525.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office will perform the autopsy.

In addition to the sheriff's office, these agencies are assisting with the active investigation: The Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Huntington Police Department, Wayne County Sheriff's Office, West Virginia State Police, Ohio BCI&I, Lawrence County EMS, US Marshals, and the Lawrence County Drug and Major Crimes Task Force. Lawless also thanked the McDonald’s owner and his employees for their "kindness and assistance."

UPDATE 1/23/19 @ 9:20 p.m.

More details have been released about a deadly shooting in the parking lot of the McDonald's near South Point, including the victim's name.

In a release, Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless identified the victim as Joshua C. Jones, 39, of South Point.

Jones was found lying toward the front of the parking lot around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Jones had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at Cabell Huntington Hospital. His body will be taken to Montgomery County, Ohio, for an autopsy.

Witnesses told deputies they heard gunshots and saw a woman take off in a gray or white older model Chevrolet Impala. A BOLO alert was sent out immediately for the vehicle for Ohio and surrounding states.

“We are actively seeking a person of interest in this case,” Lawless said in the release. “Our investigation leads us to believe that this is a situation of domestic violence, possibly concerning child custody.”

Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call the sheriff's office.

Hannah Pauley says she just stopped working at that McDonald's this past weekend. She went there Wednesday evening to pick up her sister-in-law, who was working at the time of the shooting.

"I really didn't think it would happen in front of a McDonald's," Pauley said. "It's pretty sad what it's come to nowadays. People are out of control."

"It seems to be a trend in this country anymore," Sheriff Lawless said at the scene. "It's so sad things happen in a public area like this."

UPDATE 1/23/19 @ 7:15 p.m.

A man shot Wednesday in the parking of the McDonald's near South Point has died, Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said.

The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. near the restaurant along U.S. 52.

Deputies are looking for a woman who left in a white vehicle. Lawless said the shooting resulted from a case of domestic violence.

Other details are unavailable at this time.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

ORIGINAL STORY 1/23/19

A man was shot late Wednesday afternoon at the McDonald's along U.S. 52 near South Point, Lawrence County Sheriff's deputies say.

Deputies at the scene say it happened in the parking lot of the restaurant. They say a man was taken to the hospital. There's no word on where he was shot or the extent of his injuries.

Sheriff Jeff Lawless said deputies received a call at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday that a man had been shot by a woman.

Lawless said the woman took off in a white vehicle. Deputies have someone they consider a suspect, but they're not releasing her name at this time.

Investigators will be checking McDonald's security video to see if it caught anything useful.

Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.