Inset: Andrea Graham (Battle Creek Police). Background: The area in Michigan where Graham allegedly killed her husband (Google Maps).
A 31-year-old Michigan woman is accused of killing her husband, allegedly shooting him multiple times inside their home and telling police she did it to "make sure he was out of his misery." Andrea Graham was taken into custody Monday and charged with one count of open murder as well as a felony firearm offense in connection with the slaying of Alan Graham, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a news release from the Battle Creek Police Department, officers responded to a report of a shooting around 4:30 p.m. at a home in the 100 block of South Ridgeway Drive, which is about 120 miles west of Detroit.
Upon arriving at the address, first responders found a man with apparent gunshot wounds to his upper torso, according to a department news release. A woman outside the residence — later identified as Andrea Graham — directed officers inside, and emergency responders attempted lifesaving measures before the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police took Andrea Graham into custody and lodged her in the Calhoun County Jail as the investigation continued, the release said.
The Battle Creek Enquirer obtained court documents providing additional details about the shooting.
According to the report, investigators said the shooting occurred in the basement hallway, where officers discovered Alan Graham dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
At the scene, Graham allegedly told responding officers she shot her husband during a violent encounter and described her actions in blunt terms, according to a report from Grand Rapids, Michigan, NBC affiliate WOOD.
"I shot him a couple of times to make sure he was out of his misery because I didn't want him to suffer slowly," she said.
Investigators recovered a 9 mm pistol and multiple shell casings from different areas of the home, and they found shattered glass from a picture frame on the victim's body, the report said, suggesting the incident involved movement through several rooms.
Andrea Graham claimed she acted in self-defense, telling authorities her husband had been strangling her when she fired the weapon. Meanwhile, investigators said they did not observe injuries consistent with that claim and found evidence that did not support her account.
She later appeared in Calhoun County Court and entered a not guilty plea, declining to comment on the allegations, according to Kalamazoo, Michigan, CBS and CW affiliate WWMT. Her attorney described her as a stay-at-home mother of two and said she has no prior felony convictions.
Graham is currently being held without bond and is scheduled to return to court on April 22 for a probable cause conference, according to court records.