Alabama wife, Brittnay Ryals Paonessa shoots dead her army sergeant husband, Brandyn Lloyd Paonessa days after the man getting an order of protection against her.
An Alabama woman has been charged with fatally shooting her Army sergeant husband just days after the man obtained an emergency protection of abuse order against the woman, alleging his wife was ‘very mentally ill’ and unstable.
Brittnay Ryals Paonessa, 27, was arrested with the shooting death of Brandyn Lloyd Paonessa on Thursday in the front yard of a home in Phenix City, WTVM reports.
Paramedics tried to save the father of four, but Brandyn, a 26-year-old infantryman at Fort Benning who was shot once in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered a shotgun from the scene and has been preserved as evidence.
Court records revealed the soldier husband having taken steps to protect himself days prior to his alleged murder, filing for and obtaining an emergency protection from abuse order against his wife just three days earlier, on Monday.
Brandyn accused his wife of being ‘very mentally ill’ and ‘very unstable,’ claiming she had refused to get treatment at a rehab center. He also accused Brittnay of stalking him, as well as his family and friends, and trying to ruin his job as an infantryman after he joined the Army in September 2013.
But there’s more.
A history of dysfunctional relationship:
Brandyn also accused his wife of driving a truck into the couple’s home ‘3 feet from our children,’ according to the filing.
The couple, who had been married since 2013, had three children together, ages 8, 3, 2, and 2-months. with Brittnay also having a child from a previous relationship, Al.com reported.
Fort Benning officials confirmed Brandyn’s death in a statement, saying he was assigned to Task Force 1-28, 3rd Infantry Division, and had two combat tours of duty in Afghanistan.
‘The cause of his death remains under investigation,’ Fort Benning officials said.
Investigators declined to provide any details on a possible motive in the slaying.
Brittnay, who was charged with murder Friday, was being held on $150,000 bond at the Lee County Detention Facility. It’s unclear if she’s hired an attorney.
Court records show Brandyn having been arrested last year and charged with third-degree domestic violence after his wife accused him of punching her in the stomach after she looked through his cellphone. The charge was later dismissed at Brittnay’s request.
