A Neelyville woman sits in the Butler County jail after she allegedly shot her brother Tuesday during a domestic dispute.
Lillian Boyd, 51, of Neelyville is charged with the Class A felony of first-degree domestic assault resulting in serious physical injury, the Class B felony of unlawful use of a weapon and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action, all in connection to the incident.
According to the probable cause statement from Butler County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Goins, he was dispatched to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in reference to a man who had been shot and was receiving care for his injuries.
When Goins arrived, he made contact with the alleged victim, John Boyd. Goins reportedly observed John Boyd had four entry wounds in his right arm from his shoulder to his forearm. John Boyd told Goins his sister, Lillian Boyd, shot him in the arm with a 12-gauge shotgun at her residence in the 200 block of County Road 340, approximately three miles south of Harviell, according to deputies.
John Boyd reported he and his sister were in an argument and he requested to use her cell phone. Another argument over the phone then reportedly ensued and John Boyd said he threw the phone at his sister, causing it to break.
John Boyd told law enforcement he was walking to his vehicle in the driveway when his sister came outside the residence with a .22-caliber rifle and began firing at him, forcing him to take cover behind a large tree in the front yard.
Lillian Boyd then reportedly returned with a 12-gauge shotgun and began firing at her brother. When he stepped out from behind the tree, he told deputies he was struck by gunfire in his right arm. John Boyd then fled the scene on foot and later was transported to PBRMC, according to reports.
Goins responded to Lillian Boyd’s residence in the 200 block of County Road 340. Goins advised her of her Miranda rights, which she reportedly waived and spoke with him about the incident.
Lillian Boyd allegedly admitted shooting her brother after the argument over her phone, but told law enforcement her brother was the aggressor in that argument and that he allegedly has struck her and choked her in the past.
She told Goins when her brother walked toward his vehicle, she wanted to scare him because she was tired of being abused and mistreated by him. Lillian Boyd said she used the .22 rifle to shoot at her brother but did not wound him with it. After she reportedly emptied its internal magazine, she said she decided to use the 12-gauge shotgun to scare him. She also told Goins while she was firing the 12-gauge at her brother, she was afraid her brother was going to arm himself with a baseball bat and assault her.
Goins said he found both weapons used in the incident in the closet, where Lillian Boyd said she placed them. Goins then transported Lillian Boyd to PBRMC for a mental evaluation, where she was treated and released, then booked at the Butler County jail.
Lillian Boyd currently is being held on $200,000 bond. She was arraigned Wednesday.