JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A woman accused of hiding the gun used in the death of her 15-year-old stepson has pleaded guilty to charges of tampering with and fabricating evidence.

Christy Files, 29, told police last June that two men shot her stepson, Bryan Layfield, in her back yard, and then jumped over a fence to escape. But investigators from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office later found the bloody .22-caliber rifle that was used in the boy's death hidden in Files' attic and determined that she was lying.



Police said another 15-year-old boy, who was staying at Files' house temporarily, was unloading the gun when it accidentally went off, killing Bryan. They said Files lied to cover it up.



Bryan's biological mother, Amanda Helmker, said the fact that the shooting was an accident brings her some closure.



"It kind of makes me feel more relieved," Helmker said, "because there's so much violence, and so many kids wanting to kill themselves so many days."



Jacksonville Sheriff's Office booking photo of Christy Files

Helmker said she had developed a trust in Files (pictured) -- a trust that was ultimately broken when she learned about the coverup.



"To know her actions afterward, I really can't wrap my head around that or understand why she chose to do the things she did to cover herself up or the child up with whatever happened," Helmker said. "It's just mind-boggling."



JSO officers said the 15-year-old responsible for the shooting will not be charged with a crime because there was no unlawful intent, and the shooting was an accident.



News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said the case is an example of how forensic evidence and good detective work will almost always uncover the truth.



Helmker said she plans to attend Files' sentencing hearing on April 27. She said she hopes that Files has learned a lesson about telling the truth, because if she hadn't lied, she likely would not have been charged by police.