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PROVO — A Provo woman who was arrested and accused of killing her husband in their northwest Provo home Saturday night said she shot him in self-defense.
But police say the evidence indicates otherwise.
Melissa Johnson-Fausett, 56, was charged Tuesday in 4th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of her husband, Corry Fausett, 55.
"Multiple avenues of investigation are ongoing, but the evidence currently available does not support the defendant's explanation of events," prosecutors wrote in charging documents.
On Wednesday, the case was transferred to Wasatch County because of "a conflict with the judges located in Utah County," according to the court docket, which does not specify what that conflict is.
Provo police received a call at 7:41 p.m. Saturday from a woman who said she shot her husband after he attacked her. Officers arrived at their home, 1116 W. 1460 North, and found the man lying on the ground in the hallway near the entrance to her bedroom, according to a police booking affidavit.
Police say the woman told them she was laying in bed when her husband came into her bedroom, grabbed her by the neck and started hitting her in the head. "Melissa then said she grabbed her gun that was on her bed beside her and began shooting at her husband. Her husband attempted to leave the room, and Melissa stood up and started to follow him, continuing to shoot until he collapsed on the ground just outside the doorway to her room," the affidavit states.
Johnson-Fausett said her husband had threatened to kill her and she thought he was going to a different room to get a gun, according to police.
"Melissa said that she shot at her husband in self-defense. After shooting her husband, Melissa put the gun down on her bed and called 911," the arrest report says.
A detective said there was no obvious blood on the gun found on the bed, but a second handgun — discovered in Johnson-Fausett's purse underneath some clothing in the bedroom — had blood spatter on it, the affidavit alleges.
"Melissa said that the blood was from shooting rabbits in the desert at close range. The blood on the second handgun was tested and was positive for human blood," police wrote in the affidavit.
The detective reported finding four bullet wounds on Fausett and said one wound on the side of his face had "burn marks, indicating it was a close-range shot."
"He had been shot four times, once in his left side and three times in the head," the charging documents state, while also noting that Johnson-Fausett "had no signs of injury."
After moving the man's body, investigators discovered damage to the floor beneath him. "After falling to the ground, there was no evidence of him moving to indicate that he was a threat to Melissa's safety. The evidence obtained at the scene conflicted with the statements made by Melissa," according to the affidavit.
"Melissa stated post-Miranda that she shot her husband multiple times in self-defense; however, with the evidence found and collected at the house, it is believed that Melissa intentionally or knowingly caused the death of her husband and was no longer acting in self-defense," the affidavit states.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Correction: A quote in a previous version incorrectly referred to Melissa Johnson-Fausett as Miranda.
