Woman jailed for fatally shooting husband on New Year's Day

WESTFALL — Jeanette Hughes, 46, of Westfall was charged with criminal homicide in the shooting death of her husband, Keith Hughes, on Friday, Jan. 1, Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin said in a press release.

Pike County's first homicide of the year happened at 121 North Castle Drive in Westfall.

Responding officers from the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department discovered Keith with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was treated at the scene by the Westfall Fire Department Ambulance and then flown by helicopter to Morristown Hospital in Morristown, N.J., according to the police report.

Jeanette Hughes told police she shot her husband with a .22 caliber firearm because she feared for her safety, according to Tonkin. She said the couple had been arguing about their son, who’s a minor.

According to the report, Keith pulled a plate of food off Jeannette’s lap while she was in bed and smashed it on the floor. He then put his forearm across the right side of her face and yelled at her. He then cleaned up the broken plate off the floor.

Jeanette told police went to the Sentry safe, taking a revolver with her, because she felt she was in danger. Keith said something about money in the safe.

Keith saw the revolver and said, “Go ahead and shoot me,” then left the bedroom, according to the police report. Jeannette said she lay in the bed with the revolver, She said she was scared because of prior incidents.

Keith returned, yelling, to the bedroom the police report continued. At this point Jeanette picked up the revolver with her right hand and pointed it at Keith, who said again, “Go ahead and shoot me." Jeanette fired one shot from the revolver, striking him.

Keith Hughes died from the gunshot wound at Morristown Hospital at approximately 11:40 p.m.

After the incident, community Facebook postings stated the victim owned the military shop next to Balch's Restaurant on Route 6/209.

Jeanette Hughes was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Alan B. Cooper and remanded to the Pike County Correctional Facility with no bail. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Deborah Fischer at a future date.

The Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit, the Criminal Investigation Unit from the Pennsylvania State Police Blooming Grove Barracks and the Pike County Detective Bureau assisted with the investigation.