EVERETT — A Marysville woman who shot at her husband during a fight over housework couldn’t convince a judge last week to delay sending her to prison.
Starlene Roth asked for more time before her March 22 sentencing so she could see her divorce finalized. She had planned to request a temporary release from jail to pack up all of her belongings from the house she shared with her husband, according to court papers. She wanted to put her property in storage before she went away.
Her husband filed for divorce about a month after Roth leveled a gun at him and squeezed off a round. He was not hurt. The couple were married 30-plus years.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wynne turned down Roth’s request, saying he wasn’t keen on the county continuing to foot the bill for Roth’s incarceration just so she could finish up divorce proceedings.
He also said Roth was lucky that she didn’t injure or kill her husband.
Wynne sentenced Roth to more than three years in prison. Roth pleaded guilty to second-degree domestic violence assault with a firearm.
Roth, 55, apologized to her husband. She told the judge she had a problem with alcohol.
Her husband had been in the hospital for a few days before the May 9 shooting. Roth was upset with him because “he hadn’t been able to do anything around the house,” according to court papers.
He told police Roth yelled at him, broke a vase in the back yard and pushed over their barbecue. She also broke the TV remote control.
He was sitting in the living room when Roth came out of the bedroom with a 9mm Smith &Wesson pistol. She yelled, “Get the (expletive) out of the house,” court papers said.
He stood up and she fired the gun. The bullet narrowly missed him and lodged in a doorjamb.
He ran out of the house and called 911.
Roth admitted to police that she blew up at her husband and grabbed her gun. She said she was “too far gone” to stop herself from shooting at him.
She is banned from having any contact with the man for 10 years.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
Twitter: @dianahefley
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