- Northampton County prosecutors announced Tuesday the May killing of Walter Whaley Jr. in Upper Mt. Bethel Township was legally justified
- The shooter, an unidentified 47-year-old woman, was involved in an abusive relationship with Whaley, according to a statement from the Northampton County District Attorney's office
- Investigators determined Whaley threatened the woman with a handgun before his death, and that the woman reasonably feared for her life when she shot him
EASTON, Pa — The May killing of a 59-year-old Upper Mt. Bethel Township man was legally justified, Northampton County prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Walter Whaley, Jr. was killed by a single gunshot to the chest May 14, officials said.
A statement from the Northampton County District Attorney’s office explaining the decision said the shooter, an unnamed 47-year-old woman, was involved in an abusive relationship with Whaley.
On the night of his death, investigators say, Whaley threatened the woman with a gun, smashed furniture, and fired a handgun into the kitchen wall.
When police arrived at the scene, she was visibly injured, and the home was in disarray, authorities said.
She described an altercation leading up to the shooting in which a drunk was grabbing her by the throat, shoving her, breaking objects around the house, and pointing a handgun at her.
As the altercation continued to escalate, the woman retrieved a shotgun from her bedroom. When Whaley “advanced toward her in an aggressive manner,” she shot him once in the chest, the statement said.
Immediately afterward, she called 911 to report she had shot her boyfriend, according to the DA’s office.
State police investigators found that Whaley had a history of drinking, erratic behavior and abuse in previous relationships.
