Woman jailed for fatal shooting in Washington County

POTOSI, Mo. – A Washington County, Missouri, woman appeared in court Tuesday for a fatal shooting last week at a home she shared with the victim.

According to a probable cause statement from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened on Friday, Oct. 3. Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence just south of Mineral Point for a reported shooting.

Deputies arrived to find the homeowner dead from a gunshot wound to his head. He was 30 years of age. The sheriff’s office did not identify the victim.

The woman who reported the shooting, Josie I. Reed, was taken into custody for questioning.

In an interview with investigators, Reed alleged that the victim was angry with her and had choked her repeatedly and that she lost consciousness multiple times. She said the victim shot at her with a .40 caliber pistol; she then grabbed the pistol and fired two shots at him.

The sheriff’s office said Reed showed markings on her body to investigators, which were not consistent with being choked by another person.

Deputies at the scene told investigators that Reed claimed the victim used pepper spray on her, and that he was reaching for a shotgun when she shot and killed him. Reed never mentioned pepper spray and said the shotgun was not involved when speaking with investigators.

While searching the residence, investigators neither detected nor found pepper spray.

The Washington County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Reed with first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree domestic assault, and two counts of armed criminal action. Reed was jailed on a $1 million cash-only bond.