Va. Beach woman guilty of manslaughter in son's shooting - The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH
A Circuit Court judge today convicted a 46-year-old woman of voluntary manslaughter in the 2009 shooting death of her adult son.
Police charged Angelica Michelle Lee with first-degree murder and use of a firearm following the fatal shooting of her son, Marcus Duran Reese, 24, after an altercation at her home on Woodlake Drive on Aug. 15, 2009. Following a day-and-a-half bench trial, retired Norfolk Circuit Court Judge John C. Morrison, who heard the case due to absences by Virginia Beach judges, found her guilty of the lesser charge and not guilty of the firearm violation.
Morrison said the evidence proved Lee had been provoked by the altercation, feared for her life and had acted mistakenly in the heat of passion. There wasn't sufficient proof she'd acted with malice or premeditated the shooting, he said.
Reese had a history of violence against family members, including being under a restraining order filed by his stepfather following a domestic assault in 2004, causing Lee to fear he'd hurt or kill her, said Lee's attorney, James Broccoletti, during the trial. Lee testified she'd been abusing Ambien, a prescription sleeping aid, and alcohol at the time and didn't clearly remember the details of what happened.
Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued for a second-degree murder conviction, saying that Reese hadn't threatened or attacked his mother and that she'd had 10-15 minutes to cool down between their fight and the shooting.
Lee remains out on bond and is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 4.
22 Sep, 2011--
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