Tennessee man shoots and kills wife after argument over dead man's shoes

A 70-year-old Tennessee man told authorities he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed his wife following an argument over her dead father's shoes.

The Columbia Daily Herald reported on Friday that James L. Cothran has not been charged yet in connection with the death of 59-year-old Patricia M. Cothran Thanksgiving night at their home in Culleoka. The couple reportedly began arguing that night after she asked her husband to take off her father's shoes.

The Maury County Sheriff's Department's report on the incident states that after he refused, James Cothran and his wife argued for another 30 minutes. She then reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife and began approaching him with "a crazy look in her eyes."

WKRN-TV reported that James Cothran told emergency dispatchers, "She had a knife on me and fixing coming at me, so I shot her."

Authorities said Cothran used a .22-caliber revolver he found on the floor. When the dispatcher tried to get him to use CPR to attempt to keep his wife alive, he stated, "Right now I can't do anything. I'm so sorry." His wife was declared dead at the scene.

The Herald reported that sheriff's officials had been called out to the Cothrans' home on at least a dozen occasions on domestic disturbance reports, but neither member of the couple was ever arrested.

"We have answered calls there before," Capt. Jimmy Tennyson told WKRN. "Of course, from time to time, you kind of wonder if you keep going to these types of repeats, what could or may happen."

Watch WKRN's report on the shooting, aired on Friday, below.

WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

[Image: "Man Pointing A Gun" via Shutterstock]