Tragic Father's Day Dispute : Stepson Accused of Killing Stepmother Over Missing Cats, Found Dead in Jail After His Arrest

 

On Father's Day, a 60-year-old man who allegedly killed his 57-year-old stepmother during a heated argument died in his jail cell days later.

David Lee Mabry was facing an open murder charge for the death of Mary Mabry in Michigan. Local media outlets reported that she was killed on June 18, 2023, and David was arrested a few hours later and brought to court for arraignment the next day. 

Additionally, he faced a charge of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Although his bond was set at $1 million, he was unable to post the amount at that time. However, this issue became irrelevant when David Lee Mabry was found dead in his jail cell on Tuesday.

According to reports from CBS/Fox affiliate WSBT, the defendant, now deceased, allegedly pulled out a handgun without any provocation and fatally shot his younger stepmother while she was sitting on her patio at their family home on Russell Road in Baroda Township, a small village near the Indiana border. After the incident, the woman's husband was reportedly able to disarm the shooter before he fled the scene in a car.

Michigan State Police Fifth District spokesperson Lt. Duwayne Robinson stated, "The suspect had left the scene, and they quickly went into search mode, trying to find and arrest the suspect, in which they did after a very, very short search," as reported by WSBT.

The incident occurred around 2:10 p.m. on Sunday, and the stepson was taken to Berrien County Jail at approximately 5:00 p.m. the same day, according to the report. 

A neighbor named Lucy Truhn, a child, expressed her nervousness and uncertainty regarding the whereabouts of the perpetrator after hearing the car speed away. Plans for Truhn and her sister to camp in the local woods were canceled following Mary Mabry's tragic death.

Court documents obtained by WSBT revealed that the defendant claimed he went to his father's home to retrieve some cats he had left there. Upon being informed that the cats were gone and their enclosure had been destroyed, David Mabry allegedly became enraged when Mary Mabry denied responsibility for the destruction. 

According to the court document cited by WSBT, David Mabry stated that the victim attempted to grab the gun when he raised it, resulting in a discharge that fatally struck her in the head.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Berrien County Sheriff's Office informed WSBT that David Mabry was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after noon. The police mentioned that the man had pre-existing medical conditions and no signs of trauma were evident.

Source - Law and crime