A 70-year-old woman who police say shot her son four times in the back pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Madison County Circuit Court.
Wanda Faye Haffelder pleaded not guilty to attempted first-degree murder and was given a Sept. 1 trial date.
Haffelder was booked into the Washington County Detention Center on June 1 in connection with the May 31 shooting of her son, Jimmy Dean Haffelder, 49, deputies said.
The mother and son lived together at 2302 Madison County 5540, about 10 miles southeast of Elkins, according to a probable cause report.
Jimmy Haffelder was flown to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, where he told Arkansas State Police his mother shot him with a .22-caliber rifle, according to the release.
Washington County is holding Wanda Haffelder at the jail for Madison County, spokeswoman Kelly Cantrell said. Her bond is set at $100,000.
Wanda Haffelder called deputies about 5:40 p.m. May 31. Deputies found Jimmy Haffelder on the kitchen floor with gunshot wounds, according to the report. Jimmy Haffelder couldn't speak at the time, and Wanda Haffelder gave law enforcement officials conflicting stories about her son's injuries, including he could have been shot by someone driving an all-terrain vehicle, according to the report.
She denied she had a rifle and then led police to the gun in her son's bedroom, according to the report.
Jimmy Haffelder later told state police he had been at a spring to get water when his mother shot seven times at a passing all-terrain vehicle, according to the report. The gun jammed, so Jimmy Haffelder came back from the spring, cleared the gun and reloaded it, according to the report. He set the rifle aside and told his mother he was leaving and taking his things with him, according to the report.
The two quarreled, and Wanda Haffelder took the rifle and shot him, according to the report.
NW News on 07/15/2015