Montana woman fatally shot in Wash.

Published 5:37 am Thursday, July 2, 2009

YAKIMA — The Yakima County sheriff’s office is investigating the shooting death of a Montana woman in central Washington.

The woman’s common-law husband told detectives they were both shot by a hitchhiker they had picked up near a rest stop on Interstate 82 early Wednesday morning. The man was shot in the hand.

The sheriff’s office identified the couple in a statement as 40-year-old Sheryl Huntley and 34-year-old Stephen Harwood of Thompson Falls, Mont. Huntley died Wednesday afternoon after suffering a single gunshot to the head.

The sheriff’s office says Yakima police learned of the shooting about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, when another motorist called 9-1-1 after agreeing to lead Harwood to a hospital. When police arrived, the injured driver said he had picked up a hitchhiker, then was robbed.