Man Who Shot Ex In The Head Gets 22 Years In Prison
Posted April 28, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A month after he was released from jail for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Sheldon Stubbs broke through three separate doors before cornering her on an apartment balcony and shooting her in the head on New Year’s Day, 2007.
After hovering near death for quite some time, Marshalea Steele, who was just 18 at the time, made a miraculous recovery, but still has the bullet lodged in her head.
On Tuesday, Steele was handed a 22-year sentence minus time served. In handing down the sentence, Justice John Hamilton said the victim was defenseless as she lay curled up, cornered on a 20th floor balcony. “It was like shooting fish in a barrel,” he remarked.
Despite suffering a serious head wound, Steele managed to call 911, an act that she admits “saved her life.”
She is heard whimpering and screaming for help to the 911 operator and is put on hold for 12 seconds while police are dispatched. When the operator returns there is no answer, but a muffled cry can be heard.
Steeles’ parents gave victim impact statements saying they were considering harvesting her organs when she pulled through “by some miracle”. During a long recovery she had to learn to walk and talk again.
“I’m just blessed that I can still be here and I thank everybody for their support and everybody that stuck by me,” Steele said outside the courthouse.
Her father, an assistant church pastor, said he wants to see the Stubbs change his ways.
“The only justice I would really appreciate is if this young man would change. Because we are grieving today, but he’s a son of somebody.”
Hear the chilling 911 call below:
