MONROE, N.C. (Court TV) — A North Carolina woman is being held in jail without bond after allegedly killing her husband during an argument.
Patty Griffin (Union County Sheriff’s Office)
Patty Griffin, 73, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her husband, Dennis Griffin.
Deputies with the Union County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Griffins’ home on Friday afternoon after Patty Griffin called 911, reporting that she had accidentally shot her husband in the shoulder. When deputies arrived on scene, it was apparent the victim was shot in the chest, and not his shoulder.
Investigators determined that the couple had been arguing about “past events” when Patty Griffin “retrieved a .38-caliber handgun, pointed it at Dennis, and pulled the trigger,” deputies said in a news release announcing the arrest.
Deputies said that after the shooting, the defendant then tried to cover up what happened by discarding evidence before officers arrived. Investigators did not offer any specifics about what evidence may have been tossed.
At Patty Griffin’s first appearance on Monday, a judge denied bond and ordered that she be held in the Union County Detention Center. No new court dates were immediately scheduled.
