Paula Lee Decoteau is behind bars on a half million dollar bond after investigators said she shot her mother one time in the forehead at their home on Spruce Pine Trail just after midnight Sunday morning.
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Two other people in the house at the time of the shooting told investigators that they heard Decoteau and her mother, Cheryl Garner Medlin, arguing before the gunshot. They said Decoteau then confiscated their phones and refused to let them leave while she thought about what to do next. Around 30 minutes later, she let them leave and call 911.
First responders arrived and took Medlin to Duke Hospital for treatment. On Sunday evening, deputies confirmed that Medlin had died from her injuries.
One person told ABC11, investigators recovered a .22 caliber rifle they believe was the source of the gun fire.
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Neighbor Jonathon Perry saw officers outside and could not believe the violence described by deputies.
"They've been my neighbors, throughout the years.....Very nice people," said Perry.
Decoteau is facing several charges including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, two counts of kidnapping, and assault on a government official, after kicking the arresting deputy in the chest. She's scheduled to be in court at 2 p.m. Monday, where she will have homicide charges added to her case.