A 93-year-old man in North Carolina has died after his wife allegedly struck him with a vase in the middle of the night.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Yorleni Shoff called 911 around 2 a.m. on April 9 saying her husband, Richard Shoff, was lying on the floor and bleeding at their home.
After deputies reported to the home, Richard, 93, was found unresponsive and he was rushed to a local hospital with “severe head injuries.”
During their visit, officials noticed a “significant amount of blood indicating an assault had occurred” at the residence and they obtained a search warrant to further investigate.
Yorleni, 58, was then taken into custody as investigators recovered a broken vase, which they believe she may have used as a weapon during a domestic dispute.
She was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and domestic violence, according to the news release shared on Wednesday, April 22. Yorleni was later released from custody after she posted a $500,000 bond on April 17.
Richard succumbed to his injuries one day after she was released while still in the hospital, and a homicide investigation was launched into his death.
Yorleni’s charges were then upgraded to first-degree murder, per the news release. Officers located her at the Sleep Inn Hotel in Salisbury and she was taken back into custody without incident.
She is now being held at the Rowan County Detention Center without bond as the investigation into Richard’s death remains ongoing. It is not currently clear if Yorleni has entered a plea since the charges were upgraded or if she has retained legal counsel.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
Not much is known about Yorleni and Richard’s relationship, including how long they were together or if they had a history of domestic violence incidents.
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Authorities have asked that anyone with information regarding Richard’s death contact Lt. Ryan Barkley at 704-216-8711 or Sgt. Kevin Holshouser at 704-216-8683.
In the state of North Carolina, those found guilty of first-degree murder can be given the death penalty or sentenced to life in prison without parole.
First-degree murder is defined as “a willful, deliberate and premeditated killing,” according to Amburgey Law. First-degree murder is considered a capital offense in the state of North Carolina due to the severity of the crime.
