PANAMA CITY — A Fountain woman charged with the death of her boyfriend, a former deputy, has pleaded not guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter with a firearm, according to court documents.
Cheryl Gay Hundley, 56, was arrested and charged with an open count of murder April 27 after an early morning shooting that left former Bay County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sam Walter Denham, 60, with a gunshot wound to the chest. Denham died from his wounds shortly after being rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
Hundley later was charged with his death after investigators learned a domestic quarrel led to the shooting, BCSO reported, but the charge of manslaughter indicates the prosecution believes the killing was not malicious.
Hundley, “by her own act, or culpable negligence,” killed Denham “under circumstances not constituting excusable homicide,” according to court documents filed by the prosecution.
According to BCSO reports, officers arrived at 12406 Silver Lake Road at about 5:15 a.m. after Hundley called 911 to report she had just shot her boyfriend of 13 years. She immediately approached deputies, saying she “shot Sam,” officers reported.
“What have I done?” officers quoted her as saying.
Denham was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead about an hour later.
Meanwhile in one of BCSO’s interview rooms, Hundley told investigators her side of the story. She and Denham had been going through issues, and he’d moved out to another piece of property the couple jointly owned.
The night before the incident, Denham left his cellphone at their Silver Lake home and showed up early that morning in search of it, she told investigators.
Denham confronted her about knowing the whereabouts of the phone, and she lied about not knowing, she said. He became irate, Hundley said, and started searching the home for the phone, which was under the mattress upon which she and a .38 special revolver laid.
Denham began beating on the door at one point, and when Hundley opened it he pushed her and spit on her, she told investigators. Hundley pushed Denham back and he returned a push. That’s when she grabbed the revolver and leveled it on Denham and “advised him to leave,” according to BCSO reports.
“At which time Sam raised his arms up in the air and told her to go ahead and shoot him,” officers reported.
Denham began to approach once more as Hundley bore down and fired the fatal shot into his abdomen.
Hundley admitted to intentionally hiding the phone and told investigators Denham did not say he would harm her during the incident and at no point possessed a weapon.
Hundley is charge with manslaughter with a firearm. She is being held without bond.