Wife charged in Raleigh husband's murder

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Raleigh police have charged a wife with shooting her husband at a north Raleigh apartment complex early Friday morning.

Police officers were called just after 3 a.m. to the 1200 block of Rio Wild Drive off Durant Road, near Falls of Neuse.

When they arrived, they found 54-year-old Mark Edward Rice shot to death inside the Bell Falls River Apartments.

Authorities released 911 calls late Friday morning from neighbors reporting the commotion.

"It woke me up out of my sleep ... because something ... I didn't hear a gunshot, I don't know if it happened inside the apartment just now or something earlier and he just banged her up against the wall," a woman caller said. "I heard something right now, but I don't know what I heard, it wasn't a gunshot that woke up out of sleep."

Friday afternoon, police said they have charged 44-year-old Tara Leigh Rice with murder in the shooting. Investigators said it was a domestic dispute.

Mark Rice was charged by Raleigh police in 2014 with assault on a female. Police said the victim in that case was Tara Rice - who suffered minor injuries.

Records show multiple police calls at the apartment over the years. Two in 2012 and 2013 were for disturbances.

A neighbor told ABC11 that she would often hear arguing at a nearby apartment.

"Around 3 o'clock, I just heard some screaming," Linda Rinaldo said. "A lady was wailing, screaming really loud. Typically this couple would argue a lot ... just screaming, bickering, stuff like that. I just thought it was another fight. I had no idea it was this bad."

Larry Johnson said he also heard a loud noise after 3 a.m.

"I carried my dog out about 3 o'clock this morning, went back to bed. Been in bed just shortly a few minutes and heard a real loud noise," neighbor Larry Johnson said. "It sounded real loud. At the time I really didn't think about a gunshot but I guess it could've been."