Shaw shooting ends with change of charge and a plea

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Story Published: Jun 26, 2009 at 6:11 PM PST

By Tim Novotny

COQUILLE, ORE - The shooting death of a woman in Coquille last November is resolved in a Coos County Courtroom on Friday, as the charge against a Coquille man is changed and a plea deal accepted.

46 year old Ronald Wayne Wilson appeared before Judge Michael Gillespie to plead Guilty to one count of Reckless Endangering, concerning the shooting death of 45 year old Patricia Shaw in his home on November 10, 2008.

A Grand Jury had indicted him on a more serious charge of Criminally Negligent Homicide, but District Attorney Paul Frasier says the extensive investigation ultimately proved Wilson's contention that Shaw had died at her own hand. He noted that there had been some concerns about that from the crime scene investigation, but a blood spatter test on Shaw's hand proved she had shot herself.

Frasier says Shaw had just moved here from Texas about three or four months earlier and some had said she was at times despondent. However, she was friends with Wilson and had gone shooting with him earlier on that day.

He says afterward there had been much drinking, with Shaw registering a .37 blood alcohol content. The two had begun to argue about religion; Shaw was not religious, and Wilson is, leading her to exclaim that she could shoot him and it would not bother her.

Frasier says that Wilson then went and retrieved a loaded .45 semi-automatic handgun and set it on the table, not saying anything, but basically daring her to go ahead and shoot him. Instead she picked up the gun and shot herself.

What remains uncertain is whether or not she intended to shoot herself or if it was an accident brought about by the alcohol. In end, Frasier says, it was a tragedy that showed, again, that alcohol and guns do not mix.

Sentencing for Wilson is set for July 13th. The maximum sentence for Reckless Endangering is a year in jail, plus a fine. However, District Attorney Frasier has asked that Wilson be sentenced to no more than 90 days in jail, with probation to follow.

According to Frasier, he spoke with a member of Shaw's family who said they were in agreement with the proposed punishment.

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