HIGHLAND TWP (WWJ) A Highland Township man was charged with First Degree Murder after he allegedly shot and killed his fiancé during a domestic dispute, prosecutors said.
Oakland County Prosecutors charged Michael Devon Webb, 21, in the death of Rachel Renee Wooten, 23.
According to prosecutors; the Oakland County Sheriff received a call of a woman who had been shot in her Highland Township home, in the area of Highland and Milford roads, on Tuesday, April 15. Deputies arrived and found both the victim and the suspect inside the house.
She had been shot in the neck at "very close range" and was pronounced dead at the scene. The defendant had a non-fatal gunshot wound-- "apparently from the same bullet that killed the victim," prosecutors said.
Wooten and Webb's six-month-old baby was also in the home. The child was not physically hurt.
"Rachel Wooten was just 23 and a mother of an infant," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. "Her entire life was ahead of her, until it was ended in what appears to be a domestic violence tragedy. She won't be there for her child or other loved ones in her life. I'm committed to bringing her killer to justice."
Webb was taken into custody "without incident" at the home. Prosecutors said he had called 911, saying he shot his "wife" and himself. He called it an "accident" while cleaning his gun.
"But the evidence did not support that," the Oakland County Prosecutors press release read.
"I am proud of our investigators and team that responded to a tragic death and unraveled a false offered narrative to hold an individual accountable," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
Webb was arraigned in the 52-1 District Court in Novi on Friday, April 18. He was also charged with Felon in Commission of a Firearm. He was denied bond.
A conviction on the First Degree Murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Domestic violence--otherwise known as "intimate partner violence"-- is the leading cause of serious injury or death of women aged 18-24 in the U.S., according to the American College of Surgeons.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day to provide tools and support for domestic violence survivors. If you, or someone you know, are experiencing abuse call at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for help.
