Jackson Co. man shoots wife in head, kills himself

Updated: April 15, 2009 08:59 PM

By Patrice Clark - bio | email

JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - A domestic dispute turned deadly in Jackson County Tuesday night.

Sheriff Mike Byrd said it started with an argument between Donald Sexton, 57, and his wife Tammy Sexton, 47, at their home on Billy Hinton Road in the Harleston community. Byrd said the argument lead to Sexton shooting his wife in the head with a pistol, then turning the gun on himself.

When deputies arrived, they found Sexton dead on his back porch. Tammy Sexton was still alive and talking.

The lady advised that everything was okay now. She obviously was in a state of mind that she thought she was. She didn't realize she had a serious gunshot wound to the head," Sheriff Byrd said.

Sheriff Byrd said Tammy Sexton was taken to USA Medical Center in Mobile where she is in stable condition.

"It was pretty bizarre that she was shot above her left eye with a pistol. The bullet exited the back of her head, and she was still talking to the officers. This is truly a miracle." 

Sheriff Byrd said Donald Sexton had been arrested before for domestic violence.