Canton, OH: Murder warrant issued for wife of man found dead

CANTON —
A murder warrant was issued Monday for the wife of a man found dead in his home last week.

City Prosecutor Ty Hauritz said the complaint alleges that Alana Monroe, 60, shot her husband, James Monroe, with a handgun Wednesday, causing his death.

James Monroe’s body was hit by three bullets and grazed by a fourth, Hauritz said. The prosecutor said he didn't know what events preceded the shooting.

Police believe the incident was a domestic dispute.

Capt. Bruce Lawver, head of the Police Department Detective Bureau, said police tried to question Monroe at Mercy Medical Center, but she invoked her constitutional right to remain silent and to have an attorney.

She was unconscious when police forced their way into the home at Baldwin Avenue NE. The couple’s daughter called them because she had been unable to contact her parents by telephone or knocking on the door.

“We still believe it was a possible attempted overdose,” Lawver said. He could not say if the woman attempted to commit suicide. She had no injuries or other evident physical problems, Lawver said.

A coroner’s spokeswoman has said the coroner will not make an official ruling on the cause of James Monroe’s death for four to six weeks.

If convicted of the murder charge, Monroe could face a prison term of 15 years to life, with additional time if found guilty of using a firearm.