Woman says days of arguing preceded the moment she shot her husband

BELTON, Missouri - A 60-year-old Belton woman has been charged with fatally shooting her husband inside their home Monday night.

Around 6:45 p.m. Monday, Cynthia L. Walters called 911 and told police, “I shot my husband.”

When officers arrived at the Walters’ house in the 1500 block of East 187th Street, they found 66-year-old Robert W. Walters sitting in a chair bleeding from the mouth.

Cynthia Walters was immediately arrested. According to the probable cause statement, police said she had blood on her mouth and asked her why there was blood on her mouth. She told police she was giving her husband CPR.

Robert Walters was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. He died Wednesday around noon.

When police interviewed Cynthia Walters, she told police she had been arguing with her husband for a few days.

She told her husband she needed to go back to work, but he told her that she was stupid and she might as well give up. She also told officers her husband is very controlling.

She said on Monday night she picked up a gun on the night stand and pointed it at Robert Walters while he was sitting in a recliner with his eyes closed. She told police she thought it would scare her husband if he heard the gun click. She then pointed the gun at him and fired.

Cynthia Walters told police she didn’t know the gun was loaded. After the gun went off, she saw blood coming from his mouth. That’s when she said she administered CPR and called 911.

Cynthia Walters was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.