Friday, Aug. 2, 1996
Woman faces no charges in fatal shooting
By Tom Weaver
Correspondent
CLINTON
No charges will be filed against a Sampson County woman
who fatally shot her estranged husband when he attacked
her with a knife, Assistant District Attorney Greg Butler
said.
Butler said no charges are warranted against Wendy McClenny
because evidence “clearly shows that Mrs. McClenny was
feloniously assaulted with a knife in her home by her
estranged husband, Billy Joe McClenny.”
The McClennys were legally separated when the dispute
happened July 6 at Mrs. McClenny's mobile home near
Reynolds Crossroads.
Mr. McClenny went to the home at 1:45 a.m., started an
argument and attacked Mrs. McClenny with a knife. Another
woman and two small children were also in the home. All
evidence shows that the lives of the woman and children
as well as that of Mrs. McClenny were threatened by
McClenny's actions. It was clearly self-defense, Butler
said.
Mrs. McClenny suffered knife wounds on the throat, hands
and leg and a broken toe but managed to reach a bedroom and
get a handgun. Mr. McClenny was shot four times. The SBI
was called into the case because Mrs. McClenny's mother is
an employee of the Sampson County Sheriff's Department. |