State v. Valley

Robert Valley shotgunned his wife in the back, unsuccessfully claimed accident, and now appeals his resulting convictions.

Background1

Valley beat Wife too often to count during a 20-year marriage, most frequently and severely during their last 18 months together. One day, ■ after the couple had argued for hours, Valley grabbed a 10-gauge shotgun. As Wife tried to escape, Valley called , her “a no good bitch,” said she was going to die, and shot her in the back from seven feet away.

The force knocked Wife out the back door, pellets breaking her ribs and perforating her internal organs. She…