A 68-year-old woman in Indiana was arrested over the weekend for allegedly killing her 52-year-old daughter, shooting the victim multiple times during an argument because the younger woman “would not stop talking.”
Shirley A. Lee was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with one count of murder and one count of voluntary manslaughter with an additional firearm enhancement in the slaying of Zawondra Lee, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
The latter charge alleges that Shirley Lee killed her daughter while acting under “sudden heat,” a mitigating factor that “reduces what otherwise would be murder” to voluntary manslaughter.
Shirley A. Lee (South Bend Police Department); the scene outside the home where she allegedly shot her daughter (WNDU screenshot)
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Law&Crime, officers with the South Bend Police Department at about 11:54 p.m. on Dec. 10 responded to a reported shooting at a residence in the 3900 block of Ardmore Trail. The caller told the emergency dispatcher that his mother — whom he identified as Shirley Lee — had just shot his sister.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found Shirley Lee sitting inside the home and took her into custody. She immediately stated that her daughter “was shot and inside the residence,” police wrote. Shirley Lee then “advised officers Zawondra [Lee] was dead.”
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Officers located the victim’s body and noted that there was a silver revolver on the floor nearby.
Officers transported Shirley Lee to headquarters for questioning and placed her alone in an interview room. During that time — before the interview began — she allegedly made several incriminating statements indicating that she was the person who shot and killed her daughter.
“I did that to my child,” Shirley Lee allegedly said while in the room, as well as, “I told her to stop talking, but she would not stop talking.”
During the interview, Shirley Lee said her daughter had been living at her house for about three months and that at the time of the shooting, only the two of them were at the residence.
“(Shirley Lee) stated she was in a verbal altercation with (Zawondra Lee). (Shirley Lee) indicated that (Zawondra Lee) would not leave her alone. (Shirley Lee) indicated that she had gone into her bedroom and shut the door in (Zawondra Lee’s) face two times,” police wrote in the affidavit. “(Shirley Lee) stated that she shut the door because she was angry and wanted to calm down. (Shirley Lee) opened the door when she thought (Zawondra Lee) didn’t have any more to say. (Shirley Lee) advised she became angry, retrieved her handgun and shot (Zawondra Lee). (Shirley Lee) stated she did not observe (Zawondra Lee) with a weapon during the incident.”
Shirley Lee is currently being held at the St. Joseph County Jail without bond. If convicted on the murder charge, she faces a maximum sentence of 65 years in a state correctional facility.
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