Annie Huffstutler, 44 years old, is being charged with murder in connection with the death of Shawn Christian Watson, 38 years old, according to the records of the Dale County Jail.
Ariton is a small town of less than 1,000 people located approximately 75 miles southeast of Montgomery.
Sheriff Mason Bynum told the Dothan Eagle that his officers responded to a shooting at a home in the 1000 block of West Main Street in Ariton shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.
According to Bynum, Huffstutler entered the bedroom where her husband was sleeping and shot him while he was already asleep. The death of Watson was confirmed by the coroner at the scene.
It was reported by the sheriff that there were five children present in the house at the time of the shooting; however, none of them were present during the actual event.
In response to hearing the shot, one of the children dialed 911, according to Bynum.
“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.“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 stated.
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At this time, the police have not disclosed any possible reasons for the incident. The message that was sent to the deputies asking for additional information about the incident was not immediately returned.
It was also not immediately possible to obtain an arrest affidavit based on probable cause, which would have provided additional information regarding the shooting.
On the occasion of their anniversary in January, Watson paid tribute to his wife by posting a message on Facebook.
“Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife another one in the books. Through all our sacrifice and determination we will continue to grow together love together and have fun creating our lifetime of memories I LOVE YOU Annie Huffstutler Watson,” he stated.
The Dale County Jail continues to hold Huffstutler without releasing him on bond.
