A House Springs woman who reported an accidental shooting early Sunday morning (Dec. 16) at a home in the 5600 block of Carter Drive in House Springs has been charged with the murder of her boyfriend, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Crystal Lee Denson, 30, was charged Monday (Dec. 17) with second-degree murder, a class A felony, in the shooting death of Robert Williams, 49, of House Springs, according to court documents.
At 3:11 a.m. Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an accidental shooting from a female caller at Carter Drive. When deputies arrived, Williams was found lying unresponsive with head trauma from an apparent gunshot wound, a probable-cause statement said.
Williams was transported by helicopter to Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, the report said.
Denson was no longer at the residence when deputies arrived, but she was located at a home on Ruth Drive, Capt. Gary Higginbotham said.
“It was maybe a mile from the (Carter Drive) residence,” Higginbotham said. “She was taken into custody without incident.”
Denson allegedly told authorities she was at a neighbor’s home when Williams came over to drop off some of her clothing. She said she was upset because he was trying to give her clothes to another woman, the report said.
The two left that home and returned to a home they shared on Carter Drive, where they continued to argue. Denson said after arguing for several minutes she went into a bathroom outside the master bedroom to get away from Williams.
Denson said Williams opened the bathroom door, continued to yell at her and grabbed her by both arms. After he let her go, Denson said Williams punched her with his left fist on her left cheek, the report said.
Denson told authorities the blow grazed her face, but she feared for her safety, according to the report.
She said Williams was holding a handgun in his right hand. She said she didn’t know where he got the gun, and that he never pointed it at her, the report said.
Denson said she grabbed the gun from Williams, and she held it in her left hand as he continued to yell at her. She said Williams clenched both of his hands at his side and said “he would break her jaw,” and she drew her hands and arms to her face, the report said.
Denson said while trying to protect herself, the gun fired in Williams’ direction. She said Williams fell to the ground, and she left the home, dropping the gun in the bathroom, without checking on his condition, the report said.
Denson said Williams has assaulted her in the past, the report said.
On Monday, Denson was being held in the Jefferson County Jail today on $500,000 bond on the murder charge, along with a $300 cash-only bond for possession of drug paraphernalia and a $250 cash-only bond for stealing, according to jail records.
Denson is also facing charges of possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D misdemeanor, from a Feb. 17 incident, court records said.
A class A felony carries a penalty of 10 to 30 years or life in prison. A class D felony has a maximum sentence of 10 years, and a class D misdemeanor is punishable by up to a $500 fine.