DeKalb woman who claimed accidental shooting of husband pleads guilty

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A DeKalb County woman has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and weapons violations in the 2022 shooting death of her husband, the district attorney announced.

What we know:

On Dec. 1, 45-year-old Iesha Zenobia Harmon entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges stem from the Sept. 19, 2022, death of her husband, 44-year-old Shedrick Harmon, at the couple’s home in unincorporated Decatur.

According to investigators, DeKalb County police officers responded to a home in the 2400 block of Charleston Terrace around 3:05 a.m. and found the victim unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his upper right torso. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Harmon, who called 911 after the shooting, initially insisted the shooting was accidental and told investigators that the couple had not been arguing. She claimed she picked up a firearm incorrectly while two guns and unfolded laundry were on the bed, causing it to discharge and strike her husband.

However, investigators uncovered text messages and statements from friends and family indicating a long history of violence, drug and alcohol use, infidelity, and previous threats involving a firearm. Prosecutors said the defendant had threatened the victim with a weapon on multiple occasions before the shooting.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson accepted the plea and sentenced Harmon to 30 years in prison.

The case was handled by the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit and prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ashley Johnson, with support from Senior Assistant District Attorney Miriam Broussard, District Attorney Investigator Justus, and Victim Advocate Veronica Pelaez-Maya. Detective Wright of the DeKalb County Police Department led the initial investigation.