A Mississippi man who called 911 to report that he had shot his wife has been found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, Law & Crime reported. Tony Morris, 67, was convicted of the killing of his wife, 64-year-old Kathleen Morris, whom he had been married to for over three decades.
The tragic event unfolded on August 26, 2024, when Morris placed a chilling call to emergency services. Hinds County Sheriff Tyee Jones confirmed the shocking confession: Morris “called into dispatch and stated that he shot his wife.”
Deputies from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the couple’s residence in Mississippi at around 7:15 a.m. that morning, where they discovered Kathleen dead from a gunshot wound. According to WAPT, Tony Morris’ brother revealed at the scene that the couple had been in the midst of a divorce.
Hinds County District Attorney Jodi E. Owens II emphasized the irreversible consequences of unchecked domestic violence. “A single moment of anger ended a 31-year marriage and took a life. Kathleen Morris lost her life during a moment of escalation that should have never happened,” Owens said.
“This case is an example of how quickly violence can overtake reason, and why prevention matters just as much as prosecution,” he added. “As a community, this is why we must create space for people to ask for help, and support systems that respond before violence becomes the outcome.”
Morris was convicted of deliberate design murder and sentenced to life in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The tragedy in Mississippi mirrors another disturbing domestic violence case in Twin City, Georgia, where a man warned of his deadly intentions on social media. Shamarcus Jameal Carr, 36, murdered his wife, 27-year-old Zaria Khadejah Carr, before taking his own life during a police chase.
Authorities responded to a call about a domestic dispute around 9:30 p.m. on June 14. After stabbing Zaria to death, Shamarcus fled in her 2021 Dodge Challenger. Police attempted to intercept him, but he shot himself before they could make an arrest. He later died in the hospital.
Prior to the attack, Shamarcus posted a threatening Facebook Live video. In it, he is heard telling Zaria, “I swear you’ll die,” to which she replied, “Damn, I gotta die about that?” The video was later removed.