Army man shot dead in his front yard by 'abusive' wife just days after he took out a restraining order against her
A woman from Alabama was charged with murder after being arrested for shooting her husband dead in their front yard, three days after he took out a restraining order against her, according to reports.
The woman, identified as 27-year-old Brittnay Ryals Paonessa, was charged on Friday after her 26-year-old husband Brandyn Paonessa, an Army seargent, died of gunshot wounds the previous day.
Lee County Sheriff's Office said that Brandyn suffered a shotgun wound to his abdomen, and was pronounced dead at the scene by medics on Thursday afternoon. Investigators recovered a shotgun from the home and have preserved the weapon as evidence, deputies said
Brandyn, an infantryman, was reportedly based at Fort Benning on the Georgia-Alabama border, close to Phoenix City where the shooting took place. Confirming his death, Fort Benning officials in a statement said he was assigned to Task Force 1-28, 3rd Infantry Division, and had two combat tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Court documents state that he had filed an emergency "protection from abuse order" last Monday against his wife. According to the filings, Brandyn was concerned about Brittnay's mental health and claimed that she had refused to undergo treatment at a rehabilitation center.
WSFA reported that he had accused Brittnay of stalking him and his family and friends. Brandyn, in his filings, alleged that she had driven a truck into their house on one occasion, just three feet away from their four children. She had also been threatening his job, according to reports.
However, despite his claims, Brandyn himself had been accused of punching his wife in the stomach last year, and was arrested over the alleged violent outburst. The charges were later dropped.
Reports state that the couple had been married since 2013 and have four children, aged eight, three, two and two months. Their youngest baby was born in March. It is not yet known whether the mother suffered from any postpartum health problems.
Brittnay is now being held on a $150,000 bond at a detention facility. It is not yet clear whether she has legal representation yet.