Ky. Woman Held in Connection to Shooting Death of Man in Her Home
A Paducah, Ky., woman is in jail and one man is dead after a shooting overnight. According to local KFVS, 48-year-old Betti Kern was arrested at her home early Thursday morning for shooting the man. Kern called the police to report the shooting around 3:30 a.m. and was arrested after police arrived at her home to find a dead man in her bathroom.
Kern reportedly met officers outside of her home then directed them to the bathroom, where she said she had shot the man. Kern told officers that the man and another man were at her home when they got into an altercation. She admitted shooting the man in the back of the head.
Authorities called an ambulance and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy has been scheduled in Louisville and the man's identity has not been released, pending notification of his next of kin.
Kern is currently being held at the McCracken County Regional Jail.
As more details of this incident are released, more will be understood. Perhaps Kern acted in self-defense or felt threatened and that is why she shot the man. It is unknown if Kern is a legal gun owner or if the gun she used was registered properly.
Kern did the right thing by calling the police immediately instead of waiting or trying to cover up the shooting. There was no word on the other man who allegedly fought with the dead man, but his testimony as a witness should bring to light more details about the case and the incident that led to the shooting.
Kentucky law allows for the use of justifiable force in protection of self, another person or property. The shooting death of the man in this case would be considered homicide; if it is determined that Kern was acting in defense of her person, the other man in question or her home, the charge could be justifiable homicide.
According to the website GotTrouble.com, the term self-defense may not apply in this case if Kern's actions resulted in death during defense of her property. It only applies if the defense was for herself or another person. Authorities have not yet released information regarding the exact charges against her .
Kern reportedly met officers outside of her home then directed them to the bathroom, where she said she had shot the man. Kern told officers that the man and another man were at her home when they got into an altercation. She admitted shooting the man in the back of the head.
Authorities called an ambulance and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy has been scheduled in Louisville and the man's identity has not been released, pending notification of his next of kin.
Kern is currently being held at the McCracken County Regional Jail.
As more details of this incident are released, more will be understood. Perhaps Kern acted in self-defense or felt threatened and that is why she shot the man. It is unknown if Kern is a legal gun owner or if the gun she used was registered properly.
Kern did the right thing by calling the police immediately instead of waiting or trying to cover up the shooting. There was no word on the other man who allegedly fought with the dead man, but his testimony as a witness should bring to light more details about the case and the incident that led to the shooting.
Kentucky law allows for the use of justifiable force in protection of self, another person or property. The shooting death of the man in this case would be considered homicide; if it is determined that Kern was acting in defense of her person, the other man in question or her home, the charge could be justifiable homicide.
According to the website GotTrouble.com, the term self-defense may not apply in this case if Kern's actions resulted in death during defense of her property. It only applies if the defense was for herself or another person. Authorities have not yet released information regarding the exact charges against her .
Published by Tammy Lee Morris - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
Tammy Lee Morris is a lifelong resident of southern Illinois where she enjoys a quiet life in a rural area. After working for a local newspaper while studying journalism at a local community college, she dev... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentInteresting read and comment by Adam.
KRS 570.020
(1) A person is guilty of murder when:
(a) With intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person; except that in any prosecution a person shall not be guilty under this subsection if he acted under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse, the reasonableness of which is to be determined from the viewpoint of a person in the defendant's situation under the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be.
That pretty much means it has to be pre-meditated to be considered murder in Kentucky, so there is practically no way that case will be convicted as a murder. Too many of the circumstances lend themselves to emotional disturbance (The fight in particular). The worst this woman will get is manslaughter in the first, and her sentence will likely be no more than 5 years, if she is convicted at all.