Ohio Woman Who Compelled 10-Year-old Stepson to Kill his Father Gets Life Sentence

The Republic

A prosecutor says a northern Ohio woman who compelled her 10-year-old stepson to kill his father in a shooting initially ruled accidental has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Defiance County prosecutor Morris Murray says 46-year-old Oakwood resident Judith Hawkey was sentenced Thursday.

Hawkey was convicted last month of aggravated murder, insurance fraud and child endangering in Robert Breininger's 2003 slaying. Her attorney hasn't returned a phone call seeking comment on Thursday's sentencing.

Murray says the case was reopened last year after authorities learned of new evidence indicating Hawkey physically and emotionally abused the boy and compelled him to shoot his father and directed him to say it was accidental.

Murray says at least part of Hawkey's motive was nearly $500,000 in insurance money.

Texas Man Shoots the ex-Wife and Kills Himself

Local news reports

A man apparently shot and wounded his ex-wife inside her Pearland home Wednesday before fatally shooting himself, authorities said.

Brazoria County Sheriff's deputies responding to a shooting found the two about 3 p.m. at her home in the 2400 block of Woodbury.

The man was dead and his estranged wife was taken by Life Flight helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Her condition wasn't known Wednesday night but deputies said she was still alive.

Detectives said the case remains under investigation and they have not officially confirmed a possible motive. But, they believe it was an attempted murder-suicide. There were no signs of forced entry into the woman's home and the estranged couple was found together with a weapon.

Nice Christmas decorations. I imagine he did them, but then when it all got to be too much for him, he took out the gun. 

Of course the meticulous record-keeping by the state of Texas will ensure that if the dead gun owner had had a concealed carry license that fact is recorded. They wouldn't want any anomalies or omissions in their statistics.