A woman from Westmoreland County has been charged with homicide after police say she called 911 and admitted to shooting her husband.
According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, 51-year-old Leeann Steel is accused of killing her husband of 29 years, William Steel, at their home in Hempfield Township over the weekend.
Authorities said Steel called 911 on Saturday, telling dispatchers she had shot her husband and that he needed medical help. When state troopers arrived at the home on Merlin Lane, they found William Steel in a bedroom covered in blood. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“It appears she shot him in the chest,” said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani, Troop A Community Services Officer.
Investigators said they discovered a Beretta Tomcat handgun on the front porch that appeared to have been recently fired.
“There was some kind of argument, whether there was a physical aggression from Mr. Steel toward her, we weren’t able to determine there was physical evidence to support that and he has difficulty moving in general,” said Limani, noting that William Steel had limited mobility and relied on walking aids.
State troopers reported that they discovered Leann Steel in the yard of a nearby home. According to the district attorney’s office, she was arrested and charged with one count of criminal homicide. Bail was denied.
Investigators are still working to determine a motive.
“Unfortunately, when people are married — we’ve been dealing with this for 27 years of my career — sometimes it turns violent for really not what you would consider as an outsider a valid reason for any two people. It’s a shame, domestic violence is a real thing,” Limani said.
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