BELTON, MO. -
A Belton man who neighbors said wanted to become a woman may be charged in his wife's death.
The 36-year-old woman was found shot to death around 10:30 Tuesday (July 14) night. Her husband is in the hospital with a gunshot wound, a possible suicide attempt.
Police won't talk about motive. For now, they call it a death investigation. But, they have said they've shared information with prosecutors which means charges could be forth-coming if the husband survives his gunshot wound.
When police entered the home in the 400 block of Robie Drive, neighbors told FOX 4 police initially thought they were dealing with two female victims.
"Their two children were in the house and I asked them 'What was going on?' And, (the girl) told me her dad shot her mother and then shot himself...They were devastated," said neighbor Sheela Martin.
Neighbors didn't want to talk on camera about the couple's marital issues. But, off-camera multiple neighbors said it was obvious the husband was undergoing hormone treatments to become a woman. They said he was growing breasts, wore his hair in a pony-tail, wore woman's clothing, long painted fingernails and even used a woman's name.
Neighbors said the wife wanted to leave him and believe that led to a violent fight.
"I heard screams, blood curdling screams so I could tell something was wrong," said Martin.
Neighbors said the couple had two children, one girl 17 or 18-years-old and one 10-year-old boy, who were both home at the time of the shooting. People in the neighborhood said the couple was in their 30's, and the wife worked at Wal-Mart.
"We know that one person killed another and that's still domestic violence," said Doug Riley with Kansas City's Anti-Violence Project. The organization helps lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims of violence.
"A person who transitions goes through a lot of strife in their life regardless of what's going on. Regardless of family support, if they're married and whether the family is supportive, if they have children, there's a lot to that," said Riley.
But, he said that's no excuse for violence. He just wishes the couple had sought help before their marriage turned violent.
The husband's condition has not been released.
Watch a live update on this story on FOX 4 News at 5pm.
The 36-year-old woman was found shot to death around 10:30 Tuesday (July 14) night. Her husband is in the hospital with a gunshot wound, a possible suicide attempt.
Police won't talk about motive. For now, they call it a death investigation. But, they have said they've shared information with prosecutors which means charges could be forth-coming if the husband survives his gunshot wound.
When police entered the home in the 400 block of Robie Drive, neighbors told FOX 4 police initially thought they were dealing with two female victims.
"Their two children were in the house and I asked them 'What was going on?' And, (the girl) told me her dad shot her mother and then shot himself...They were devastated," said neighbor Sheela Martin.
Neighbors didn't want to talk on camera about the couple's marital issues. But, off-camera multiple neighbors said it was obvious the husband was undergoing hormone treatments to become a woman. They said he was growing breasts, wore his hair in a pony-tail, wore woman's clothing, long painted fingernails and even used a woman's name.
Neighbors said the wife wanted to leave him and believe that led to a violent fight.
"I heard screams, blood curdling screams so I could tell something was wrong," said Martin.
Neighbors said the couple had two children, one girl 17 or 18-years-old and one 10-year-old boy, who were both home at the time of the shooting. People in the neighborhood said the couple was in their 30's, and the wife worked at Wal-Mart.
"We know that one person killed another and that's still domestic violence," said Doug Riley with Kansas City's Anti-Violence Project. The organization helps lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims of violence.
"A person who transitions goes through a lot of strife in their life regardless of what's going on. Regardless of family support, if they're married and whether the family is supportive, if they have children, there's a lot to that," said Riley.
But, he said that's no excuse for violence. He just wishes the couple had sought help before their marriage turned violent.
The husband's condition has not been released.
Watch a live update on this story on FOX 4 News at 5pm.
