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Background: The Cherokee Nation Courthouse in Tahlequah, Okla. (Google Maps). Inset: Elizabeth Poteete (Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office).
In Oklahoma, a woman reportedly informed emergency dispatchers that she would be on her porch awaiting the police after allegedly fatally shooting her spouse.
Seventy-year-old Elizabeth Poteete faces charges of first-degree murder following an incident on February 6, when deputies from the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office discovered her husband, Troy Wayne Poteete, also 70, with several gunshot injuries while seated in a chair. He was declared dead at the scene. According to a probable cause affidavit accessed by Law&Crime, Elizabeth Poteete contacted dispatchers at 11:17 p.m. to admit she had shot her husband multiple times and said she would be on the porch waiting for the authorities.
Deputies attempted to administer life-saving measures to Troy Poteete, who had previously served as a justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, but were unsuccessful. Upon their arrival, Elizabeth reportedly admitted to the deputies that she had shot her husband.
After relinquishing her Miranda rights, Elizabeth Poteete explained to law enforcement that she feared for her life. She claimed that her husband, along with his girlfriend and another unidentified individual, planned to harm her. Feeling threatened, she retrieved a handgun from a filing cabinet. As Troy slept in a chair, wearing a CPAP machine, Elizabeth allegedly shot him multiple times.
Earlier that day, around 6 p.m., Elizabeth had contacted 911, reporting an unknown man on her property. Deputies responded and searched the area but found nothing suspicious. They informed Troy Poteete, who was not at home, about his wife’s report. Although his response wasn’t documented, deputies noted in the affidavit that they suspected Elizabeth was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Since the fatal shooting took place in the Cherokee Nation, which both Troy and Elizabeth Poteete belong to, the case is now being investigated by the FBI.
Elizabeth Poteete was charged with one count of first-degree murder. She is being held at the Sequoyah County Jail without bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for March 3.