Woman accused of shooting boyfriend in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff woman may face assault charges after allegedly shooting her boyfriend, whom she believed was trying to kill her dog during an apparent argument Tuesday night.

As Kellie Jean Golden, 43, of the 5100 block of Highway 142 sits in the Butler County jail on suspicion of first-degree assault and armed criminal action, her boyfriend, Jason Graves, is in a Memphis, Tenn., hospital where he was flown for treatment of what authorities describe as a "golf-ball size" gunshot wound.

Deputies with the Butler County Sheriff's Department responded just before 8:45 p.m. to the Highway 142 residence, where they found Graves lying in the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound to his right hip area, according to Sgt. Brandon Waggoner's report.

"Graves was conscious at the time and appeared to be in a lot of pain," said Waggoner. "I began asking him who had shot him. After asking several times, Graves stated 'I was walking down the road, and someone shot me.'"

Waggoner said he saw a spent casing from a .20-gauge shotgun on the floor near Graves' feet.

Contact was made with Golden, who reported she had been at a neighbor's house and had returned home to find Graves had been shot, said Waggoner, who was unable to locate any blood or evidence suggesting Graves was ever off the front porch.

During the interview, Golden reported she and Graves "had been at the residence all day and were drinking alcohol, smoked a couple of joints and snorted a hydrocodone," investigator Wes Popp said in his report.

At about 7:30 p.m., according to Golden's statement, Graves left. When he had not returned an hour later, she also left.

Golden, Popp said, denied having any arguments with Graves; however, a witness had reported seeing the couple arguing.

Due to the inconsistencies, Popp said, Golden was re-interviewed by himself and investigator Tim Davis.

Golden, Popp said, reported she had been "beaten by J. Graves for a long time. She stated that several times she had been beaten to the point of facial bones broken and fractured."

Although Graves "quit beating her approximately two years ago, (he) still abused her by throwing her around by the hair, throwing her to the floor while kicking her and verbally abusing her around her children," Popp said. "She stated she had been living in fear, while still hoping he would change."

Graves, Golden reported, had been drinking, and they had gotten in an argument.

"She stated J. Graves pushed her down on a mattress in the living room, grabbed her head, then began beating her head against the wall," Popp said.

Golden, who had several bruises consistent with being in a struggle, told officers her dog began attacking Graves, "who let her go and began beating the dog."

Popp said Golden retrieved a shotgun from a bedroom closet and returned to the kitchen with intentions of leaving.

"She stated she had the shotgun as protection because she was in fear of being beaten or possibly killed in case J. Graves ran after her," Popp said. "She stated when she entered the kitchen, J. Graves was holding her dog, pressing it into the couch and believed (he) was going to kill the dog."

At that point, "she stated she just snapped, raising the shotgun, pulling the trigger and shooting J. Graves," Popp said.

Golden's second statement, Popp said, was consistent with the evidence.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, MO