Jack Doherty and Shaylyn Moran, Pawtucket, Rhode Island woman charged in the murder of woman’s ex boyfriend’s mother. Victim shot dead w/ 3D printed gun.
A recently engaged couple have been charged with murdering a 54-year-old Rhode Island woman, after firing off 9mm bullets into her chest with a 3D-printed gun (see video below), police said.
Pawtucket police said they were called to the home of Cheryl Smith on New Year’s Day and found her dead of multiple gunshot wounds.
Arrested was Shaylyn Moran, 18, who used to date the victim’s son, and her new boyfriend, Jack Doherty, 23, of Albany, at a Hampton Inn. Both were arraigned Thursday on first-degree murder and conspiracy charges and held without bail.
A photo of the suspects in bed, posted on Facebook shortly after the shooting, bore the caption: ‘We some fighters and some shooters.’
The posting comes after the pair posting on social media having become engaged on New Year’s Eve the Providence Journal reports. The following day, the suspects went to the fiancee’s former boyfriend’s mother’s home and murdered her.
Innovative murder weapon to kill former partner family members:
Beguiling investigators was the nature of the weapon used in the killing.
Detective Sgt. Christopher LeFort of the Pawtucket Major Crimes Square said investigators are still examining the murder weapon, ‘but it does appear to be 3D-printed.’
‘It’s the first one I’ve seen used,’ LeFort said according to a report via the dailybeast.
The first successful firing of a plastic 3D-printed gun was in 2013 and was followed by warnings from law enforcement and bans on the technology in some locations. The ban came despite plans from Defense Distributed founder, Cody Wilson, saying he planned to publish the blueprints for his ‘breakthrough’ gun online.
LeFort said it was not clear where the couple obtained the weapon. He said it appeared similar to a gun Doherty was holding in a selfie posted to Facebook on New Year’s Eve.
‘Omg u better lemme hold it when I get there,’ Moran replied to the photo from a Facebook account under the alias, ‘Gothshooter Santana III.’
In the ensuing hours, they each announced their engagement on their Facebook pages. Then, police said, they left the Hampton Inn and went to Smith’s home.
Unclear is what motivated the 18 year old woman and her new lover targeting her ex boyfriend’s mother. A regard of further postings on social media below shed clues.
‘My ex loves tryna make me sound toxic …’
Posted Moran under another Facebook with the fake name, Griselda Blanco, heralding her engagement to Dohery, ‘Me when I’m in a relationship. He’s mine and I’m psycho.’
A regard of the page showed Moran writing about her ex a couple times. On December 30, Moran posted, ‘My ex loves tryna make me sound toxic , this n*gga literally was the only person I trusted at 15 and when I told em I got raped he told me he didn’t give a f*ck & that’s what I get for f*ckin someone else 🤣🤣🤣 but ok.’
On December 27, she wrote, ‘Once somebody cheat on me bruh I can’t , like cannnnoooot I get too disgusted b*tch I was posed to be ya everything 💯😒’
Both Moran and Doherty remain incarcerated with no bail as they await a future court date.
