ROMBAUER, Mo. -- A Rombauer woman, who alleges she was the victim of ongoing physical abuse at the hands of her brother, admitted to shooting him at their shared home during an apparent argument over finances Wednesday afternoon.
At about 1:30 p.m., Butler County deputies were sent to 189 Burrough St. for a domestic assault, said Investigator Randle Huddleston.
"Upon arriving, they found Michael Leslie, 47, deceased, lying on the kitchen floor from an apparent gunshot wound to the stomach," Huddleston explained.
Deputies, he said, also found Judith Kimbrell, 51, and her 19-year-old son inside the home.
"Myself and other investigators arrived on the scene, at which time I interviewed Ms. Kimbrell, and she admitted she had shot Michael Leslie, which is her brother," Huddleston said.
Kimbrell reported the weapon she allegedly used was a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, said Huddleston, who indicated the firearm was found in Kimbrell's bedroom in a dresser drawer.
"Kimbrell stated the reason she had shot Leslie was due to ongoing physical domestic violence against her in the home," Huddleston explained. "She advised over the past 2 1/2 years, he has assaulted her multiple times by punching her in the face and other areas of her body."
During one of the recent encounters, Huddleston said, Kimbrell reported her brother had "pulled a knife on her."
Wednesday's altercation, according to Kimbrell's statement, was over finances, and Leslie had punched her in the face and shoulder.
"She told him if he ever put his hands on her again, it would be the last time," Huddleston said. "She stated he swung another punch at her face.
"She dodged out of the way, and at that point, she went to her bedroom and retrieved the firearm and fired one round into Leslie."
The shot, Huddleston said, was fired from the entry way between the living room and the kitchen, from a distance of four to five feet.
"She stated she had her son call 911 and began CPR on Leslie; however, she was unable to revive him," Huddleston said.
When emergency-medical-services personnel arrived, Huddleston said, they found Leslie had no signs of life.
No signs of a struggle, according to Huddleston, were found in the home.
"We didn't observe any signs of serious physical injury to her" as a result of the incident, he said.
Due to multiple health issues, Kimbrell was not incarcerated after her interview, said Huddleston, who indicated charges of first-degree domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon are being sought against the woman.
Kimbrell's son, Huddleston said, witnessed the incident.
"During a separate interview with Lt. (Charles) Phelps, his version of the story corroborated" his mother's account, Huddleston said.
Butler County Coroner Andy Moore said Leslie's autopsy is set to be performed at 9 a.m. Friday by Dr. Russell Deidiker at a Farmington, Mo., hospital.