A 66-year-old man arrested in connection with the shooting death of his wife allegedly told detectives his revolver accidentally fired while he was showing her the weapon, according to an arrest report released Tuesday.
Physical evidence, however, contradicted Robert Marshall’s claims, so Metro Police arrested and charged him with murder with use of a deadly weapon, authorities said.
Marshall allegedly called police shortly after 11 a.m. Monday to report he had shot his wife, Dorothy, at their home in the 1700 block of Robin Street, near Vegas Drive in the northwest valley.
Officers arrived to find Dorothy Marshall with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. She was pronounced dead after being taken to University Medical Center’s trauma unit.
A Metro crime scene analyst examined her fatal injuries and determined her right hand had been up in a “defensive or protective position” when the shooting occurred, according to the arrest report. The analyst also concluded the muzzle of the gun was close to her head when it was fired, police said in the report.
According to the arrest report, Robert Marshall, who had no visible injuries, allegedly told police this chain of events:
Marshall took a gun from his collection to the living room to show Dorothy, who was afraid of guns. He wanted to ease her fears.
“He told her it was just a piece of metal and could not hurt her unless someone pulled the trigger,” police said in the report.
Marshall stood in front of her with the gun in his right hand, pointing to the side. After he pulled the hammer back to half-cock so the cylinder would spin, he held the gun in his left hand with the palm up. He then spun the cylinder by rubbing the gun down his palm from wrist to fingertip.
He told detectives the gun “went off” when it strayed from his left palm and was pointing at her head.
Marshall put the gun down without manipulating it and immediately dialed 911 after his wife was shot, according to the arrest report. He denied shooting his wife on purpose or fighting before the incident, police said.
Detectives and crime scene analysts at the Marshalls’ home found the black powder percussion revolver on a dining table between the living room and kitchen, according to the arrest report. Their analysis of the weapon indicated that the internal safety mechanism was functioning properly, the report said.
Marshall, who told detectives he had a felony conviction as a teenager, could not own firearms that fired cartridges so he collected replica black powder rifles and revolvers, according to the police report. He kept his gun collection in a spare bedroom.
Marshall is being held in the Clark County Detention Center without bail, according to jail records. His first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.
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