Beaufort Co. woman sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison for killing her husband

WASHINGTON, NC (WITN) – A Beaufort County woman was sentenced today to 20 to 25 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of second-degree murder.

Valinda Leggett was on trial for the murder of Greg Leggett.

The man was shot on July 3, 2020 at the couple's home on Mimosa Shore Road.

During the three-week trial, the wife claimed she acted in self-defense and that her husband was heavily intoxicated at the time. She testified that she shot her husband in the chest once in the kitchen.

District Attorney Seth Edwards says they presented evidence that the victim had inherited his parents' estate shortly before his death and that he had filed for divorce from his wife a few days before his murder.

The couple had been married for 20 years, according to a news release from the DA's office.

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