Washington woman charged with murdering husband claims self-defense: 'I thought he was going to kill me'

A Washington woman is claiming self-defense after she shot and killed her husband in their family home over the weekend, during an argument in which she believed “he was going to kill me.”

Stephanie Westby, 47, was charged with first degree murder in the fatal shooting of her husband, Joseph Westby, on Sunday night.

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Deputies with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Westby home in Camas around 8 p.m. over reports of a “disturbance with a weapon.”

Once on the scene, they located a deceased male, later identified as her husband. She was taken into custody and charged with murder by the Clark County Prosecutors Office.

Westby appeared before a judge Tuesday, when her lawyer showed court documents revealing a 911 call in which she defended shooting her husband, FOX12 reported.

"My husband and I just had a big fight. I thought he was going to kill me and I shot him,” Westby told the dispatcher.

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Her defense attorney, Steve Thayer, said they would be entering a not guilty plea and argued that the charges should be dropped because it was clear that she was acting to protect her own life.

"When she called 911, she reported he was threatening to kill her and attack her, so she acted in self-defense," Thayer said in court Tuesday.

Court documents obtained by FOX12 also showed that the couple had been experiencing marital issues since May. However, their two teen children told police in an interview that there was never any history of violence in the home.

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They also added that their mother asked them to leave the home shortly before the shooting took place.

Westby’s bond was set at $500,000. She is due back in court later this month.