- Melissa Johnson-Fausset pleaded guilty to reduced murder charges for killing her husband.
- The plea deal includes not contesting consecutive sentences, meaning she could have a minimum eight year sentence.
- Charging documents claimed she denied using a second gun to shoot her husband, but evidence showed otherwise.
PROVO — A Provo woman admitted on Tuesday to killing her husband, pleading guilty to murder, but the charge was reduced to a second-degree felony.
Court documents said the charge was reduced "in the interest of justice."
In addition to pleading guilty to murder, Melissa Johnson-Fausset, 58, pleaded guilty to felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. She was initially charged with murder, a first-degree felony. The charge for obstruction of justice, second-degree felony, was added in July of 2024 and the final first-degree felony was added as part of the plea deal.
On Jan. 6, 2024, Johnson-Fausset called 911 to report she had shot her husband, 55-year-old Corry Fausett. At the time, she claimed self-defense.
She told officers her husband had grabbed her by the neck and started hitting her, leading her to grab the gun, according to charging documents. She told them he attempted to leave the room, and she started to follow him and continued to shoot, they said.
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.
Her plea statement said she told police she shot her husband with a gun that was on her bed; she denied using a second gun found in a purse under some clothing, telling officers it didn't work. Officers found blood on the gun, which Johnson-Fausset reported was from hunting rabbits, but a DNA analysis showed it was her husband's blood, according to the plea statement.
Corry Fausett was shot four times, three in his head with the gun found in the purse, and once in the side with the gun found on the bed. The plea statement said he was shot with both guns, and at least one of the shots was fired while he was lying down in the hallway.
Although the murder charge was reduced from a first-degree felony, which carries a statutory penalty of 15 years to life in prison, the charge for which she pleaded guilty included an enhancement based on the use of a dangerous weapon, making the statutory sentence two to 20 years in prison.
As part of her plea deal, Johnson-Fausset also agreed not to contest that the sentences run consecutively — if the judge does give her consecutive sentences, under Utah law, she would be serving at least 8 years and up to life in prison.
She will be sentenced on May 26.
