Florida police say a woman shot and killed her boyfriend Leave her body to rot The victim’s family spent a week last year desperately searching for her.
But attorneys for Shannon McCarthy, 45, filed a motion Friday to dismiss the second-degree murder charge against her, claiming self-defense under the state’s self-defense law.
“I’ll make you smell death”
McCarthy is accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend, 43-year-old Heather Shepherd, at their home in June 2023, but McCarthy’s lawyers argue that McCarthy shot Shepherd from the ground because Shepherd was threatening him with a shotgun. Shepherd’s body was left to decompose on the front porch.
But prosecutors alleged that McCarthy sent threatening messages to Shepherd five months before the fatal attack.
“It’s pretty graphic that she said, ‘I’m going to kill you, I’m going to make you smell death,'” prosecutor Joseph Licando said.
Prosecutors also argued against self-defense, arguing that McCarthy made no attempt to contact police about the shooting and tried to wipe up blood stains to hide evidence.
McCarthy also allegedly changed his story multiple times when questioned about the victim’s location, even when a foul odor was wafting from the screened-in porch.
McCarthy’s lawyer Claimed The angle of the gunshot wound supports her claim of self-defense.
“What does this tell us and why is this trajectory important? Because she has said in her motion, and the court has said, this trajectory gives the implication to the case that she was on the ground and the shotgun was pointed down when she fired,” argued attorney Charles Fletcher.
But Shepard’s daughter testified that her mother was afraid of guns and had never fired a gun.
The judge is scheduled to rule on the self-defense claim on Sept. 17.
Posted by WTLV-TV News Video Report I posted about this move on YouTube.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to receive stories like this directly to your inbox. Register here!
