JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Over a year after a body was found decomposed on the front porch of a Lakeshore home, the woman charged with murder in the death of her partner is trying to have the case dismissed, claiming self-defense.
In a motion hearing Friday, attorneys representing Shannon McCarthy argued the “Stand Your Ground” defense in McCarthy’s killing of 43-year-old Heather Sheppard in July of last year.
The judge must now decide if McCarthy’s actions were taken out of fear and whether her deadly use of force meets the state’s “Stand Your Ground” criteria.
The judge set the next pre-trial hearing in the case for Sept. 17 and said she would have a ruling by then.
The Stand Your Ground motion, which was filed last month, claims that the two were involved in an argument and Sheppard walked to McCarthy with a shotgun. The defense says the two fought over the gun, McCarthy fell and Sheppard pointed the gun at her.
The defense said McCarthy then drew her own gun and shot Sheppard.
In July 2023, Sheppard had been missing for almost a week when human remains were eventually found on the front porch where she was confirmed to be staying with McCarthy.
Property records show McCarthy owned the house on Colonial Avenue where the body was found. The arrest report says the McCarthy and Sheppard were domestic partners and court records showed a history of domestic disputes between the two.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was not able to immediately identify the body because of how decomposed it was. But it was later identified as Sheppard and it was determined she had been shot and killed.
McCarthy faces a second-degree murder charge along with tampering with evidence and sending written threats.
In August 2023, McCarthy pleaded not guilty to those charges.