A 71-year-old Cherokee County man who claimed he shot his wife in self-defense last summer was convicted in her killing Monday, prosecutors said.
Charles Terry Collins was found guilty of murder and other charges in connection with the death of 63-year-old Deborah Collins, who was found lying on the floor of a home July 24 with a gunshot to the neck — as her husband held a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver nearby, according to the Cherokee District Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years.
The shooting happened at the residence off New Light Road in Canton, where Cherokee deputies and Holly Springs police officers were met by Charles Collins holding the handgun at the front door, the sheriff’s office said.
Officers said they repeatedly demanded that he drop the firearm, but he retreated into the home. Eventually, he walked out the back door, which is where he was arrested without incident. Deborah Collins was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to prosecutors, Charles Collins admitted to shooting his wife, but claimed his actions were in self-defense.
Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
Collins told law enforcement he opened fire because Deborah Collins threatened him with a knife, though evidence showed she was not holding a weapon at the time of the killing, prosecutors said. He also never called 911 or came to her aid, according to the DA’s office.
“To the untrained eye, this crime scene could have appeared to be an open and shut case of self-defense,” Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe said.
At the end of his six-day trial, Collins was found guilty of malice murder, murder, family violence aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The DA’s office said testimony was heard from 21 witnesses, and more than 300 exhibits were presented as evidence by the state.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before making its decision.
