Police say wife entered bedroom and killed sleeping husband

Left: Annie Huffstutler (Dale County Jail). Right: Shawn Watson (Facebook).

An Alabama woman is behind bars after she allegedly murdered her husband as he slept.

According to Dale County Jail records, Annie Huffstutler, aged 42, has been charged with murder in connection to the death of Shawn Christian Watson, aged 38. The incident occurred in Ariton, a small town with a population of less than 1,000 people, located approximately 75 miles southeast of Montgomery. Sheriff Mason Bynum stated that the authorities received a call about a shooting at a residence on West Main Street around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

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Bynum said Huffstutler walked into the bedroom and shot her husband while he was sleeping. The coroner pronounced Watson dead on scene.

Sheriff Bynum mentioned in an interview with local CBS affiliate WTVY that at the time of the shooting, there were five children present in the house. Fortunately, none of the children witnessed the tragic event unfold. It was one of the kids who alerted the emergency services by calling 911 upon hearing the gunshot.

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“We have contacted our partners at the Wiregrass Angel House to provide assistance to the family as they begin this process of grief and the journey towards emotional recovery,” Bynum told the Eagle.

Cops did not release a potential motive for the incident. Deputies did not immediately return a message seeking further details about the incident. A probable cause arrest affidavit that would provide more details about the shooting also was not immediately available.