LEAGUE CITY, Texas – A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his wife who suffered from dementia, according to Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.
Charles Kermit McCoy, of League City, nearly decapitated his wife, Susan “Shaun” McCoy, in an attempt at a murder-suicide in September of 2024.
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What happened
On Sept. 24 around 10:39 a.m., League City Police Department responded to a request for assistance from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy investigator was attempting to serve a writ of possession at a home in the 100 block of Crescent Bay Drive, where the Mccoy’s were being evicted.
Upon arrival, deputies received no answer and ultimately breached the door and found Shaun, lying on the bedroom floor with fatal injuries, and her husband, McCoy, with self-inflicted injuries, lying beside her.
He was treated at the scene by officers before being transported to a nearby hospital by LCFD personnel.
League City Police investigated, and McCoy was eventually indicted for first degree murder.
Details released in jury trial
Testimony in the trial began Monday, led by Violence Against Women Chief Prosecutor Kate Willis alongside Assistant District Attorney Kyle Vance.
Jurors heard from Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Love and League City Police Officers Robby Henson and James Winston, who described the disturbing scene they encountered inside the home.
Prosecutors also presented crime scene photographs, which showed Shaun McCoy with catastrophic neck injuries and McCoy nearby, bleeding and still holding her hand while gripping a large butcher knife.
Neighbors and the couple’s son later took the stand, painting a picture of an abusive household. Witnesses described McCoy as controlling and frequently intoxicated.
Neighbors testified that they had seen Shaun with visible injuries, including black eyes and bruises on her arms, while she was battling early-onset dementia. The couple’s son told jurors the abuse had gone on for years.
The jury also heard from Dr. Monica Patel, the medical examiner who conducted Shaun McCoy’s autopsy. Patel testified that Shaun suffered a severe neck wound along with blunt force injuries to her head, face and body. Based on the extent and combination of those injuries, Patel concluded the death was a homicide.
McCoy testified in his own defense, claiming his wife inflicted the fatal wounds on herself during a dementia-related episode while he was showering, and that he later attempted to take his own life. Prosecutors challenged that account during cross-examination, questioning McCoy about inconsistencies in his story and pressing him to explain each of Shaun’s injuries.
During closing arguments, Willis told jurors the evidence showed a long pattern of abuse that ended in a violent killing. She argued McCoy’s testimony was an effort to avoid responsibility rather than tell the truth. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict.
The punishment phase began immediately afterward. Defense attorneys argued McCoy’s life had effectively already been destroyed. Prosecutors countered that Shaun McCoy was the one who lost her life, emphasizing the brutality of the attack and McCoy’s lack of remorse. After about two hours of deliberation, the jury sentenced McCoy to life in prison.